Saturday, November 2, 2019

Villa d'Este (1)

Villa d’Este, is noted as ' a masterpiece of the Italian Garden', because of its over the top 'fountains, nymphs, grottoes, plays of water, and music.'
Yep there is a fountain that at a certain time of day plays music - the water pressure somehow sounds notes on an organ situated inside the structure
Cardinal Ippolito II d’Este started building it in 1550 and was added onto during the 1600's and 1700's.
Other European gardens were modelled on it.
Many of the architectural features were taken from ancient  Roman villas such as the Villa Adriana.
It is supposed to invoke the hanging gardens of Babylon.
In the 1800s it was abandoned but then restored in 1850.



  






Pavement mosaics taken from Hadrian's villa down the road





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