Villa Lante
Villa Lante Pegasus Fountain Detail © Alice Joyce
The elements of a Renaissance garden come together in a poetic harmony at Villa Lante, northeast of Rome in the village of Bagnaia.
Villa Lante Grotto © Alice Joyce
Villa Lante – River Gods Fountain © Alice Joyce
Often quoted author of Italian Villas and Their Gardens, the novelist Edith Wharton found the setting to be a magical place when she visited in 1903. The survival of these gardens is commendable, as so many of the period have now vanished. Attributed to the great Mannerist architect, Vignola, Villa Lante began as the dream of Cardinal Gambara in the 16th century. The conversion of a hunting preserve became the glorious landscaped grounds we see today. Cardinal Peretti-Montalto tales credit for the creation of the central Fountain of the Moors.
Villa Lante Parterre Overview © Alice Joyce
Italian gardens are dense with greenery and Villa Lante is no exception. Italian cypress trees and hedges provide shade, while the living plant material provides visual delights in the form of boxwood sculpted into elaborately patterned parterres.
Taking full advantage of the steep site, the gardens are set into a series of terraces carved into the hillside, where stonework staircases lead visitors to discover surprisingly sensual water features, sculptures, and grottoes. Distant views, too, are an integral part of the garden’s geometrical arrangement, built upon a longitudinal axis.
A side note: On this journey, I used a wonderful car service [Roma Transfer] for two major segments of the journey. Barbara Galli, my English-speaking contact provided advice, dependable drivers and extremely comfortable vehicles.
Villa Lante Cascade © Alice Joyce
Water feature representing an elongated crayfish or gambaro, exalting Cardinal Gambara.
Countless scholars and garden historians have mused that Villa Lante embodies the ideal of perfection associated with the guiding design principles of the Renaissance, in its symmetry and overall proportions.
Fontana dei Mori – Fountain of the Moors © Alice Joyce
Although it may not be possible to sip a glass of wine at the Cardinal’s Table [below] when visiting Villa Lante, you’ll be transported to another era if you allow your imagination to take hold.
Villa Lante Stone Table © Alice Joyce
Villa Lante was my favorite garden in our intro to landscape architecture class in college! Including the cascade water feature. Makes me want to feast on good bread, dip it in olive oil, and sip wine for hours. Uh oh, my ancestry coming out…back to work!
David, Hopefully we’ll one day share – if only virtually – a great feast complete with a fantastic glass of Italian ‘red’ and lots of olive oil in all the food and focaccia. Salut!
Sleepless in UK, thought I’d reprise your poetic commentary and sumptuous pics.
Thanks
R