File:Italian villas and their gardens (1904) (14591819399).jpg

Identifier: italianvillasth00whar (find matches)
Title: Italian villas and their gardens
Year: 1904 (1900s)
Authors: Wharton, Edith, 1862-1937 Parrish, Maxfield, 1870-1966
Subjects: Architecture Architecture, Domestic Landscape gardening
Publisher: New York : The Century Co.
Contributing Library: NCSU Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: NCSU Libraries

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
Duccio, and thepale-yellow tarnished surface of the stucco recalls thedelicate hues of the Perugian chapel. The ground floor consists of an open loggia of threearches on columns, forming a kind of atrium curiously faced with an elaboratemosaic-work of tinyround pebbles, stainedin various colours andset in arabesques andother antique patterns.The coigns of the facadeare formed of this samemosaic — a last touch offancifulness where all isfantastic. The barrel-vault of the atrium is amarvel of delicate sfiic-cature, evidently inspired by the work of Giovanni daUdine at the Villa Madama; and at each end stands asplendid marble basin resting on winged griffins. Thefragile decorations of this exquisite loggia are open onthree sides to the weather, and many windows of theupper rooms (which are decorated in the same style) areunshuttered and have broken panes, so that this uniqueexample of cinque-cento decoration is gradually fallinginto ruin from mere exposure. The steps of the atrium, I02
Text Appearing After Image:
COURTYARD GATE OF THK VILLA PIA ROMAN VILLAS flanked by marble Cupids on dolphins, lead to an ovalpaved court with a central fountain in which the Cupid-motive is repeated. This court is enclosed by a low wallwith a seat running around it and surmounted by marblevases of a beautiful tazza-like shape. Facing the loggia,the wall is broken (as at the Villa di Papa Giulio) by asmall pavilion resting on an open arcade, with an atticadorned with stucco panels; while at the sides, equidis-tant between the villa and the pavilion, are two vaultedporticoes, with fagades like arches of triumph, by meansof which access is obtained to curving ramps that leadto the lower level of the gardens. These porticoes arealso richly adorned with stucco panels, and lined withinM-ith a mosaic-work of pebbles, forming niches for a rowof busts. From the central pavilion one looks down on a tankat its base (the pavilion being a story lower on its outeror garden side). This tank is surmounted by a statueof Thetis

Note About Images