3. Italian Gardens
To study the extent of Italian garden design history would be quite an undertaking since it dates back thousands of years to its roots in the Etruscan and Roman empires. Over time, however, the designed landscapes of Italy have gone through changes, but perhaps the most formative time-period took place in the Renaissance (15th-17th century).
During the Renaissance, Italian gardens went through a developmental period that would, subsequently, work to set the standard not only for Italian gardens, but also for many gardens throughout Europe, and to even further reaches of the world (see previous post to learn about French gardens and their Italian connection). In Renaissance Italy it was not monarchs or wealthy business people who built the most sophisticated gardens; rather, it was the leadership within the Roman Catholic Church. More specifically, it was at the villas of the cardinals where the most grand gardens were located. The cardinals, much like Louis XIV, desired to show themselves as powerful influencers on society through their lavish gardens. They utilized great artists and architects to form brilliantly designed gardens to surround their large homes. These villas made waves in the political landscape that enveloped the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church.
The overall design as well as the specific landscape attractions (such as the fountains and other water works) at Villa d’Este were modeled after the forms and water features that are present at nearby Hadrian’s Villa. Villa d’Este was commissioned by Cardinal Ippolito d’Este, and was designed by Italian painter, architect, and archeologist Pirro Ligorio. [1] Interestingly, d’Este’s desire to build the villa came from a place of bitterness and covetousness in his heart. The cardinal took on this attitude because he was vying to be pope himself. Many of the objects in the garden reflect the cardinal’s feelings about his relationship with the Catholic Church and Rome’s high society. For example, The Hundred Fountains do indeed host one hundred fountains that are laid out in three levels with a canal in each tier. The canals associated with the fountains are a representation of the tributary rivers that flow into the Tiber River. [2] Thus implying what was, in his mind, a way to artistically connect himself to Rome (since the Tiber flows through Rome) and his desire to ascend to the papacy. Cardinal d’Este never did become pope, but the garden he had built certainly left an indelible mark on landscape design history and theory.
The Hundred Fountains at Villa d'Este. Notice the tiered design with the canals beneath. The statues of the eagles represent the d'Este family—an eagle also appears on their coat of arms.
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The Fountains of Neptune at Villa d'Este.
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Overall, the Italian garden is based largely on combining rustic elements of nature with well structured, highly reasonable forms created by humans. To humanize the gardens, designers and their patrons crafted landscapes that were ordered and theatrical. It could be said that Italian gardens are steeped in allegory. The meaning behind the allegories of Italian gardens is rooted in classical mythology and literature—as well as the hubris of the patrons who commissioned their construction. They desired to say something to the world about themselves through the myths and stories of antiquity. [3] Another element of Italian gardens is that they often juxtaposed rugged aspects of nature, such as forests and naturally occurring rock formations, with an underlying design scheme based on geometry and symmetry. There was an emphasis on using rationality and how it integrates (and in some cases) controls nature. The garden at Villa Lante (built for Cardinal Gambara and designed by the architect Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola) [4] is a good case in point since it displays the intellectual connection between humans and nature very well. There is order in the design, but most of the garden is set within a manmade forest. The garden close to the villa is laid out along a central axis with many terraces featuring unique fountains that are both allegorical and harmonious in their construction. The Water Chain is a linear fountain along this axis that flows down a steeply graded slope and over an elaborate series of fountains dressed up with grandiose statues of river gods. Villa Lante is also home to one of the earliest parterres in the world (see the photo below). Parterres, like the one seen here, quickly became an element of the quintessential European estate garden. The parterres reinforce the concept of man’s mastery over nature.
The Water Chain at Villa Lante.
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The statues of river gods at Villa Lante. The water chain flows downhill to this fountain and pool.
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The parterre garden at Villa Lante.
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Another interesting example of an even more rustic Italian garden design is in the Sacro Bosco at Bomarzo. Throughout this garden there are many large, pretty scary-looking sculptures rising up out of the forested landscape. The sculptures were hewn out of existing stone formations. Each of them was crafted to entertain since they serve as good curiosity pieces for visitors. Landscape design scholars claim that the gardens and sculptures at Bomarzo were inspired by pieces of Italian literature—namely, the Aeneid and Dante’s Inferno. [5]
The Hell Mask at Bomarzo.
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An important lesson that we can learn from Italian Renaissance gardens is the way they referenced historic landscapes. Garden designers in 16th century Italy drew much inspiration for their gardens from cultural sites like Hadrian’s Villa. This desire to use historic landscapes as a guide for conceptualizing designs is a trend that was popularized during the Renaissance by influential thinkers like Leon Battista Alberti. Alberti was an architect during the 15th century under Pope Nicholas V who worked to develop Italian building architecture in such a way that it would pay homage to the forms, functionality, and aesthetics of the Greeks and, subsequently, the Romans. [6] The designs and philosophies of Alberti ushered in a renewed interest in Roman architecture and engineering that served as a basis for garden design theory in Renaissance Italy. If we take a look back on our own cultural and family backgrounds, we, like Alberti, are likely to find something that we could bring into our own gardens. It can even be a small object that gets brought into a garden to help us remember our heritage. My own grandfather collected gladiolus corms from a very old house in South Georgia and planted them at the family home. My father then took some of these same corms and planted them in the garden at the house I grew up in. Someday soon, I will gather a few corms for the garden at my family’s home here in Tennessee. Remembering where we came from and applying it to garden design is a lesson we would do well to learn from the Italians.
Hadrian's Villa or Villa Adriana was built for Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century A.D. Pictured here is the pool at Hadrian's Villa.
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In Florence, the gardens built during the Renaissance were not just about displaying power and wealth; they were intended to be works of art. A strong sense of balance and harmony was on display through the plantings and hardcapes of Florence’s gardens. The most notable garden owners during the 16th century in Florence were the Medici family. The wealth and status of this family was founded in their background as the official papal bankers. It was the Medici who funded artists such as Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. [7] Their garden at Villa Medici at Fiesole was intentionally sited on a hillside overlooking Florence. From this vantage point, the wealthy family could contemplate the picturesque Florentine landscape and have a suitable setting to consider business and intellectual matters. [8]
Villa Medici at Fiesole just outside Florence.
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Another point that should be made about Italian gardens is that many people believe they did not have much color in the plantings other than green in the shrubs and trees. This is an incorrect assumption, however. Gardens of the Italian Renaissance were filled with color, as research shows. [9] The reason many believe there was a lack of color is most likely because the flowers faded and died out over the centuries without being replaced. Boboli Gardens in Florence provides modern-day visitors with a glimpse of how flowers were incorporated into the Italian Renaissance garden.
Flower beds set within boxwood hedges at Boboli Gardens in Florence.
Image Source: www.museumsinflorence.com
Moving further south, the gardens become less formal. The Garden of Ninfa, located near Naples, is what a carefully crafted, informal garden in this region. Many people claim that the Garden of Ninfa is the most romantic garden in the world. It’s hard to argue with this statement when considering its theatrical ruins draped in wisteria and the transparent streams lined with diverse plants and flowers. The Garden of Ninfa was built at the site of an abandoned medieval town. Ruins of buildings and even a city wall dating back to the 14th century still remain in the garden to this day.
Wisteria draping itself throughout the medieval ruins at the Garden of Ninfa.
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Finally, the impact the baroque period (17th-first half of the 18th century) had on Italian gardens cannot be forgotten. The gardens of Borremeo Palace, located on Isola Bella in the northern part of the country, is among the most strongly baroque landscapes in all of Italy. This garden was built on an island in Lago Maggiore owned by the Borremeo family. The island was intended to impress and to serve as a stage on which the family and their guests could parade for all the people on the water and on the shores of the lake to see. The whole garden is meant to be a spectacle for all to behold. The design concept for Isola Bella, as desired by Count Carlo Borromeo, was that of a large ship anchored and covered with gardens. The result, a very dramatic, terraced landscape that suddenly rises up out of the lake. [10]
The theater at Borromeo Palace.
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While you may not be able to recreate Isola Bella in your backyard, you can still contemplate the uniqueness of the gardens of Italy to gather inspiration for your own property. All too often, people want their landscaping to be status quo rather than to make a statement about themselves, their family, or their passions. Even if your pocket book cannot even fathom the wealth of people like Count Borremeo or Cardinal d’Este, you can still learn a lesson on garden design by building off the enthusiasm that served as the spark for such renowned landscapes. Italian gardens all tell a story, and that is something we can certainly apply today. If you’re interested in building a garden that helps tell your story, contact Shippey Landscape Architecture today!
Sources:
Villa D'Este, Tivoli, (Rome) - Italy - Official Site -, Villa D'Este, www.villadestetivoli.info/storiae.htm.
Rogers, Elizabeth Barlow. Landscape Design: A Cultural and Architectural History. New York: Harry N Abrams, 2001. Page 142.
Rogers, Elizabeth Barlow. Landscape Design: A Cultural and Architectural History. New York: Harry N Abrams, 2001. Page 126.
“Villa Lante.” Gardenvisit.com - the Garden Landscape Guide, Gardenvisit.com, www.gardenvisit.com/gardens/villa_lante.
Rogers, Elizabeth Barlow. Landscape Design: A Cultural and Architectural History. New York: Harry N Abrams, 2001. Page 143.
Kelly-Gadol, Joan. “Leon Battista Alberti.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 1 Feb. 2017, www.britannica.com/biography/Leon-Battista-Alberti.
History.com Staff. “The Medici Family.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2009, http://www.history.com/topics/medici-family.
Rogers, Elizabeth Barlow. Landscape Design: A Cultural and Architectural History. New York: Harry N Abrams, 2001. Page 129.
“Italian Gardens ~ Rome, Florence, The South, The Veneto, Lucca & The Lakes.” 27 Nov. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Y8wh7Xqw7U.
Don, Monty. “Ladies of the Lakes: Italy's Island Gardens.” The Observer, Guardian News and Media, 19 Mar. 2011, http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2011/mar/20/monty-don-gardens-italian-lakes.