GARDENS
We have selected four gardens within an hour or so of Il nido for their great variation. La Scarzuola and Bomarzo are two similar gardens based on fantasies or follies but four hundred years apart in their execution.
Villa Lante and La Foce are gardens that follow the same theme classical theme (although La Foce has a less formal "English" section) but again span nearly four hundreds years in their execution.
La Scarzuola
La Scarzuola is close to Il nido - on the other side of the hill between us and the small town of Montegiove. It is only 15 minute drive away.
St Francis allegedly stayed here in a straw hut, returning from Perugia where later would stand a small church. In 1400 then the church was enlarged by building the Monastery known as La Scarzuola. It was the property of Franciscans till 1876.
Città Buzziana
A view of the Citta Buzziana. It is hard to describe this combination of garden, park and architectural folly - but it certainly worth a visit.
The architect Tommaso Buzzi (1900 - 1981) bought the area surrounding La Scarzuola convent in 1956. He planned and built the Città Buzziana, near the convent, over a period of twenty years. Later his nephew Marco completed the unfinished parts of the original plan.
The aim of his plan was to create an "ideal" city where a blend between nature and culture could take place. The result has been an architectural complex or folly full of symbolism and allegories.
Tommaso Buzzi is considered one of the most interesting Italian designers of the XX century and he has been the subject of some research during recent years. He practised in Milan in the 20's and the 30's as part of the XX century school of modern architecture.
He also worked in the field of furniture and town planning. Fantasy and irreverence, together with the continuous use of humanistic, literary and classical quotations, distinguished his work and earned him the loyalty of the nobles and high society. This exclusive clientele probably meant Buzzi was little known outside this group.
In 1956, when he retired, he decided to buy the convent of La Scarzuola and to transform the surrounding park into an "autobiography on stone" of his career as an artist, The Città Buzziana is an architectural composition inspired from neo-Mannerism.
This work is divided into seven theatres: the Teatro delle Arnie, the Teatro della Torre, the Teatro sull'acqua, the Patio tondo, the Patio infinito, the Teatrino sportivo and, finally, the Teatro dell' Acropoli, on top of the whole structure. The latter is the highest building that overlooks the complex and the landscape of Montegiove. A variety of figures can be admired inside the Città Buzziana including Pegaso, the Torre dell'Angelo Custode e del Tempo. There are temples dedicated to the most diverse deities and the Torre di Babele. Among the numerous staircases, the Scala Musicale delle Sette Ottave and the Scala di Giobbe stand out.
La Foce
La Foce is north of Il nido beyond Chiusi and only 10 minute from Chianciano. The trip take about 1 hour overall.
The neo classical garden at La Foce looking toward Mt Amiata.
When Antonio and Iris Origo bought the estate of La Foce, they engaged the English architect Cecil Pinsent, who had previously done extensive work on Bernard Berenson's Villa I Tatti in Florence, to restructure the main buildings and create a large garden. The latter was conceived to enhance the Renaissance house and expand the spectacular view over the valley of the Orcia and Mt. Amiata. The harmony between buildings, garden and nature makes La Foce a fine example of Tuscany's architectural and cultural evolution in the XXth century.
The garden grew gradually, between 1925 and 1939.
The house is surrounded by a formal Italian garden, which is divided into geometrical ‘rooms’ by box hedges with lemon trees in terracotta pots. Travertine marble stairs lead to the rose garden and a winding wisteria-covered pergola bordered by lavender hedge. Gentle informal terraces climb up the hill, where cherry trees, pines and cypresses grow among wild broom, thyme and rosemary, and a long cypress avenue leads to a 17th-century stone statue. Through the wood, a path joins the garden and the family cemetery, considered one of Pinsent's best creations.
Opening hours: the garden is open to the public every Wednesday afternoon. Guided tours leave from the Fattoria courtyard every hour from 3 to 7 PM (April-September) and 3 to 5 PM (October-March).
During summer there are classical music concerts.
Web site for La Foce - http://www.lafoce.com
Bomarzo
The park of Monsters
This fortified elephant is modelled on the elephants of Hannibal's army which contributed to the defeat of many Roman legions... it transports the unconscious body of a legionaire.
The park of Monsters of Bomarzo was devised by the architect Pirro Ligorio (he completed the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Rome after the death of Michelangelo and built Villa d'Este in Tivoli) on the commission of Prince Pier Francesco Orsini, also called Vicino. He died broken hearted on the death of his wife Giulia Farnese
The unique park was built in 1552 as "Villa of Wonders" making it one of the earliest gardens in Italy.
The Park of Monsters remained in oblivion till 1954 when it was bought by Mr Giovanni Bettini who with loving care has restored it.
Bomarzo is a little over an hour from Il nido. One takes the autostrada south towards Rome. More information on their web site http://www.bomarzo.net/index_en.html
Villa Lante
The picnic table is one of my favourite parts of the Villa Lante garden. The flow of water down the hill is the central theme of the garden. On this terrace the water flows around the table to cool one's feet and is channelled to the pond on top of the table to cool the wine.
Villa Lante is at Bagnaia near Viterbo. The garden was developed in the 16th century by a number of Bishops and Cardinals but mainly Giovanni Francesco Gambara in 1566. Gambara means prawn in Italian and carved prawns are to be found in many places.