55 
September, 19 2 2 
natural park shaded by old ilex, chestnut 
and oak, descendants of those that stood 
guard seven hundred years ago. To the 
south of the villa, on the slope of the hill, 
lies the garden whence one looks across the 
valley of the Arno with Florence’s many 
campaniles and domes rising along its 
banks. The first half of the garden near 
the villa is new, as things go in Italy, hav¬ 
ing been laid out as a tropical garden after 
the fashion of the 19th Century. The sec¬ 
ond half compensates for the first in as 
much as there is nothing of the deplorable 
Mid-Victorian influence found there. Flow¬ 
ers in profusion, trees natural to the land¬ 
scape of Tuscany, all the features of the 
formal garden that are so necessary a setting 
for the Italian villa, have been preserved. 
When one stops to think of the influence 
that the work of Dante has had on the lit¬ 
erature of Italy and its consequent effect on 
the civilization of Europe, one realizes that 
the Villa Dante Alighieri preserved through 
nearly a thousand years in perfect condition, 
is one of the most interesting historical mon¬ 
uments to be found in any country. 
Perhaps the most vital monuments are 
those houses which have held a great per¬ 
sonality and which are in themselves pieces 
of architecture worthy of that occupant. 
When, as here, they have been scrupulously 
preserved, they become part of the cultural 
background of the nation and the world. 
To the south is an open loggia, sup¬ 
ported by an arcade, that looks down 
upon the flower garden. As will Be 
noted, the villa and its gardens are being 
maintained and the atmosphere of the 
1 3th Century manor house scrupulously 
preserved 
The principal feature of the western facade 
is the tower, whose counterpart is always 
to be found in the old Tuscan villa. The 
18 th Century addition at the extreme left 
contains the bedrooms 
The delightful mediaeval cortile is en¬ 
tirely surrounded by an open loggia on 
the second floor. In the center stands 
an old stoni well, upon the head of 
which can be faintly traced the arms of 
Beatrice Portinari, whose family pur¬ 
chased the villa in 1332 
