Revival Garden
The Gardens Trust look at the Italian Renaissance Gardens as one of the greatest achievements of the western culture. Born in fifteenth century Florence it evolved through an historic rivalry with Rome, as the cardinals of the Papal city vied with Florentine politicians to create the most innovative, opulent and awe-inspiring sites. Since urban space in both cities was limited, gardens tended to be created around rural villas. Though the word ‘villa’ has come to mean anything from large suburban house to a luxurious country mansion, the term derives from the classical world where it referred to an agricultural estate designed, in part, for pleasure and retreat. Over the centuries the villa gardens of the Italian Renaissance evolved from scholarly sanctuaries through diplomatic showpieces, sophisticated vehicles of dynastic display, and finally private pleasure grounds of extraordinary luxury, ornament and often decadence.
Time: 10:00
