Villa Gamberaia
Encyclopedia
Villa Gamberaia is a 14th-century villa
near Settignano
, outside Florence
, Tuscany
, central Italy; is it characterized by 18th-century terraced garden. The beauty of the setting was praised by Edith Wharton
, who saw it after years of tenant occupation with its parterre
planted with roses and cabbages, and by Georgina Masson, who saw it restored by Sig. Marcello Marchi from its Second World War ruination to the immaculately clipped and tailored condition in which it thrives today.
became famous architects under the name of Rossellino. After Bernardo's son sold it to Jacopo Riccialbani in 1597, the house was greatly enlarged, then almost completely rebuilt by the following owner, Zenobi Lapi; documents of his time mention a limonaia
and the turfed bowling green that is part of the garden layout today.
In 1717 La Gamberaia passed to the Capponi family. Andrea Capponi laid out the long bowling green
, planted cypresses, especially in a long allée
leading to the monumental fountain enclosed within the bosco
, and peopled the garden with statues, as can be seen in an etching by Giuseppe Zocchi
dedicated to marchese Scipione Capponi, which shows the cypress avenue half-grown and the bowling green flanked by mature trees that have since gone. The villa already stood on its raised platform, extended to one side, where the water parterre
is today. The parterre was laid out with clipped broderies in the French manner in the eighteenth century, as a detailed estate map described by Georgina Masson demonstrates. Olive groves
have always occupied the slopes below the garden, which has a distant view of the roofs and towers of Florence.
The monumental fountain set into a steep hillside at one lateral flank of this terraced garden has a seated god flanked by lions in stucco relief in a niche
decorated with pebble mosaics and rusticated stonework
.
The preservation of the garden at Villa Gamberaia Edith Wharton astutely attributed to its "obscure fate" during the nineteenth century, when more prominent gardens with richer owners in more continuous attendance had their historic features improved clean away. Shortly after Wharton saw it, the villa was purchased in 1895 by Princess Jeanne Ghyka
, sister of Queen Natalia of Serbia
, who lived here with her American companion, Miss Blood, and thoroughly restored it;. It was she who substituted pools of water for the parterre beds.
During World War II
, the villa was almost completely destroyed. Marcello Marchi restored it after the war, using old prints, maps and photographs for guidance.
Villa
A villa was originally an ancient Roman upper-class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became small farming compounds, which were increasingly fortified in Late Antiquity,...
near Settignano
Settignano
Settignano is a picturesque frazione ranged on a hillside northeast of Florence, Italy, with spectacular views that have attracted American expatriates for generations...
, outside Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
, central Italy; is it characterized by 18th-century terraced garden. The beauty of the setting was praised by Edith Wharton
Edith Wharton
Edith Wharton , was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist, short story writer, and designer.- Early life and marriage:...
, who saw it after years of tenant occupation with its parterre
Parterre
A parterre is a formal garden construction on a level surface consisting of planting beds, edged in stone or tightly clipped hedging, and gravel paths arranged to form a pleasing, usually symmetrical pattern. Parterres need not have any flowers at all...
planted with roses and cabbages, and by Georgina Masson, who saw it restored by Sig. Marcello Marchi from its Second World War ruination to the immaculately clipped and tailored condition in which it thrives today.
History
The villa was originally a farmhouse; it was owned by Matteo Gamberelli, a stonemason, at the beginning of the fifteenth century. His sons Giovanni and BernardoBernardo Rossellino
Bernardo di Matteo del Borra Gamberelli , better known as Bernardo Rossellino, was an Italian sculptor and architect, the elder brother of the sculptor Antonio Rossellino...
became famous architects under the name of Rossellino. After Bernardo's son sold it to Jacopo Riccialbani in 1597, the house was greatly enlarged, then almost completely rebuilt by the following owner, Zenobi Lapi; documents of his time mention a limonaia
Orangery
An orangery was a building in the grounds of fashionable residences from the 17th to the 19th centuries and given a classicising architectural form. The orangery was similar to a greenhouse or conservatory...
and the turfed bowling green that is part of the garden layout today.
In 1717 La Gamberaia passed to the Capponi family. Andrea Capponi laid out the long bowling green
Bowling green
A bowling green is a finely-laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of lawn for playing the game of lawn bowls.Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep on them...
, planted cypresses, especially in a long allée
Allee
Allee may refer to:* Alfred Allee , U.S. sheriff.* J. Frank Allee , U.S. merchant and politician.* Warder Clyde Allee , U.S. ecologist, discoverer of the Allee effect.* Verna Allee , U.S. business consultant....
leading to the monumental fountain enclosed within the bosco
Bosco
Bosco was an Irish children's television programme produced during the late 1970s and early 1980s. It was produced by the Lambert Puppet Theatre. Designed by Jan Mitchell, Bosco was voiced by Miriam Lambert initially; in later years Paula Lambert took over the character...
, and peopled the garden with statues, as can be seen in an etching by Giuseppe Zocchi
Giuseppe Zocchi
Giuseppe Zocchi was an Italian painter and printmaker, active in Florence, and best known for his vedute of the city.Born into a poor family, Zocchi began his training in his native Florence. The Marchese Andrea Gerini became his patron when he was very young, sending him to further his studies in...
dedicated to marchese Scipione Capponi, which shows the cypress avenue half-grown and the bowling green flanked by mature trees that have since gone. The villa already stood on its raised platform, extended to one side, where the water parterre
Parterre
A parterre is a formal garden construction on a level surface consisting of planting beds, edged in stone or tightly clipped hedging, and gravel paths arranged to form a pleasing, usually symmetrical pattern. Parterres need not have any flowers at all...
is today. The parterre was laid out with clipped broderies in the French manner in the eighteenth century, as a detailed estate map described by Georgina Masson demonstrates. Olive groves
Olive Tree
The Olive Tree was a denomination used for several successive centre-left Italian political coalitions from 1995 to 2007.The historical leader and ideologue of these coalitions was Romano Prodi, Professor of Economics and former leftist Christian Democrat, who invented the name and the symbol of...
have always occupied the slopes below the garden, which has a distant view of the roofs and towers of Florence.
The monumental fountain set into a steep hillside at one lateral flank of this terraced garden has a seated god flanked by lions in stucco relief in a niche
Niche (architecture)
A niche in classical architecture is an exedra or an apse that has been reduced in size, retaining the half-dome heading usual for an apse. Nero's Domus Aurea was the first semi-private dwelling that possessed rooms that were given richly varied floor plans, shaped with niches and exedras;...
decorated with pebble mosaics and rusticated stonework
Rustication (architecture)
thumb|upright|Two different styles of rustication in the [[Palazzo Medici-Riccardi]] in [[Florence]].In classical architecture rustication is an architectural feature that contrasts in texture with the smoothly finished, squared block masonry surfaces called ashlar...
.
The preservation of the garden at Villa Gamberaia Edith Wharton astutely attributed to its "obscure fate" during the nineteenth century, when more prominent gardens with richer owners in more continuous attendance had their historic features improved clean away. Shortly after Wharton saw it, the villa was purchased in 1895 by Princess Jeanne Ghyka
Ghica family
The Ghica family were a Romanian noble family, active in Wallachia, Moldavia and in the Kingdom of Romania. In the 18th century, several branches of the family went through a process of Hellenization...
, sister of Queen Natalia of Serbia
Natalija Obrenovic
Natalie Keşco was Princess consort of the Principality of Serbia from 1875 to 1882 and the Queen consort of the Kingdom of Serbia from 23 March 1882 to 6 March 1889 as the wife of King Milan Obrenović IV.-Early life and royal marriage:She was born in 1859 in Florence as the first child of the...
, who lived here with her American companion, Miss Blood, and thoroughly restored it;. It was she who substituted pools of water for the parterre beds.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the villa was almost completely destroyed. Marcello Marchi restored it after the war, using old prints, maps and photographs for guidance.
External links
- Patricia Osmond, "Villa Gamberaia, Settignano" With bibliography.