The next villa of the day was the Villa d’Este, which was, in my opinion, the most impressive. The transverse axes were parallel to the hillside, but the axis from the entrance to the building was not aligned perfectly. As we walked through the gardens, we kept a record of all the spaces we experienced. My list went as follows:
I think the best part about the garden was that no matter where you were, you could hear rushing water. I sat in the vine tunnel for a good 45 minutes enjoying the shade and calming sounds of the water. I can see how someone would want to retreat here from the stress of the city.
- The porch of the villa with landscaped views of the gardens;
- Garden with she-wolf statue and boat on the edge of the property and waterfall; ”river” flows into “pond” where boat is;
- Path lined with fountains and greenery (the Hundred Fountains);
- Fountain at end of path; arches surrounded with green, statue above;
- Fountain along center axis with water shooting straight out and surrounded by curved steps (Fountain of the Dragon);
- Arch surrounded by niches; columns have vines weaving around;
- Water organ with several pools approaching it;
- Tunnel made of leaves/vines.
I think the best part about the garden was that no matter where you were, you could hear rushing water. I sat in the vine tunnel for a good 45 minutes enjoying the shade and calming sounds of the water. I can see how someone would want to retreat here from the stress of the city.