House and Garden 
Vol. V 
February, 1904 
No. 2 
FLORENTINE VILLA GARDENS-II. 
T HE architect of the grand old villa of 
Gamberaia is unknown, for although 
tradition says it was named after Gamberelli, 
it is too evidently a sixteenth century build¬ 
ing to have been designed by him, for he 
died 1479. A' 1 inscription over one of 
the doors runs thus : 
Zenobius Lapins 
pundavit MDCX; 
which makes it more than probable that it 
was built for the family of Lapi. From 
them it must have passed to the Capponi if 
we are to judge from an escutcheon in the 
cortile which bears their arms and the date 
1693. It changed hands again and again 
until it became the property of Signor 
Fazzini, from whom its present owner, Prin¬ 
cess Ghyka, bought it in 1895. 
Whoever the architect of Gamberaia may 
have been, he chose an admirable site for the 
beautifully simple villa he designed. It stands 
on a spur ot the low hills above and to the 
eastward of the village of Settignano, the 
houses of which in no way impede the glori¬ 
ous view of Florence and of the valley be¬ 
yond, which lies before you as you stand on 
the terrace and stretches as far as the Carrara 
Mountains. 
"Phis terrace runs along the west front of the 
house and overhangs the podere or farm be¬ 
low, from which the topmost branches of the 
olives rise high enough to fringe the para¬ 
pet with their silvery leaves. This parapet 
is broad and low, and here and there it rises 
in a curve and makes thereof a pedestal. 
Two of these in the center bear two lions 
Copyrighted IQ04 by Henry T. Coates Co. 
49 
