Italian villas and their gardens . the Scala Santa, and the buildingto which it leads is a hermitage adorned with circularniches set in the form of a cross, each niche containingthe bust of a saint. The hermitage being directly onthe axis of the villa, one looks out from the latter downthe admirable perspective of the tapis vert and up theScala Santa to the little house at its summit. It is inter-esting to note that this effect of distance and grandeuris produced at small cost and in the simplest manner;for the grass-walk with its semicircular end forms thewhole extent of the Cetinale garden.
Italian villas and their gardens . the Scala Santa, and the buildingto which it leads is a hermitage adorned with circularniches set in the form of a cross, each niche containingthe bust of a saint. The hermitage being directly onthe axis of the villa, one looks out from the latter downthe admirable perspective of the tapis vert and up theScala Santa to the little house at its summit. It is inter-esting to note that this effect of distance and grandeuris produced at small cost and in the simplest manner;for the grass-walk with its semicircular end forms thewhole extent of the Cetinale garden. The olive-orchardsand corn-fields of the farm come up to the boundarywalls of the walk, and the wood is left as nature plantedit. Fontana, if it was indeed he who laid out this simplebut admirable plan, was wise enough to profit by thenatural advantage of the great forest of oak and ilexwhich clothes this part of the country, and to realizethat only the broadest and simplest lines would be inharmony with so noble a background. 66. SIENESE VILLAS As charming in its way, though less romantic andoriginal, is the Marchese Chigis other seat of Vicobello,a mile or two beyond the Porta Ovile, on the other sideof Siena. Vicobello lies in an open villa-studdedcountry in complete contrast to the wooded hills aboutCetinale. The villa is placed on a long narrow ridgeof land, falling away abruptly at the back and front. Astraight entrance avenue runs parallel to the outer wallsof the outbuildings, which form the boundary of thecourt, the latter being entered through a vaulted porte-cochere. Facing this entrance (as at Cetinale) is ahandsome gateway guarded by statues and set in asemicircular wall. Passing through this gate, one de-scends to a series of terraces planted with straight rowsof the square-topped ilexes so characteristic of theSienese gardens. These densely shaded terraces de-scend to a level stretch of sward (perhaps an old bowl-ing-green) bordered by a wall of clipped ilexes, a
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