Italian villas and their gardens . (who was born a fisher-lad of Cernobbio), has passed through numerous trans-formations. In 1816 it was bought by Caroline ofBrunswick, who gave it the name of Este, and turnedit into a great structure of the Empire style. Here forseveral years the Princess of Wales held the fantasticcourt of which Bergami, the courier, was High Chamber-lain if not Prince Consort; and, whatever disadvantagesmay have accrued to herself from this establishment,her residence at the Villa dEste was a benefit to thevillage, for she built the road connecting Cernobbio withMoltrasio,
Italian villas and their gardens . (who was born a fisher-lad of Cernobbio), has passed through numerous trans-formations. In 1816 it was bought by Caroline ofBrunswick, who gave it the name of Este, and turnedit into a great structure of the Empire style. Here forseveral years the Princess of Wales held the fantasticcourt of which Bergami, the courier, was High Chamber-lain if not Prince Consort; and, whatever disadvantagesmay have accrued to herself from this establishment,her residence at the Villa dEste was a benefit to thevillage, for she built the road connecting Cernobbio withMoltrasio, which was the first carriage-drive along thelake, and spent large sums on improvements in theneighbourhood of her estate. Since then the villa has suffered a farther change intoa large and fashionable hotel; but though Queen Caro-line anglicized a part of the grounds, the main lines ofthe old Renaissance garden still exist. Behind the Villa dEste the mountains are suffi-ciently withdrawn to leave a gentle acclivity, which was 208. LOMBARD VILLAS once laid out in a series of elaborate gardens. Adjoin-ing the villa is a piece of level ground just above thelake, which evidently formed the secret garden withits parterres and fountains. This has been replaced by alawn and flower-beds, but still keeps its boundary-wallat the back, with a baroque grotto and fountain of pebblesand shell-work. Above this rises a tapis vert shadedby cypresses, and leading to the usual Hercules in atemple. The peculiar feature of this ascent is that it isbordered on each side with narrow steps of channelledstone, down which the water rushes under overlappingferns and roses to the fish-pool below the grotto in thelower garden. Beyond the formal gardens is the bosco,a bit of fine natural woodland climbing the cliff-side,with winding paths which lead to various summer-houses and sylvan temples. The rich leafage of walnut,acacia and cypress, the glimpses of the blue lake farbelow, the rush of a mountain torr
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksub, booksubjectarchitecture
