MARC.HKHITA A Z Z I V I S E N T I N I

GARDEN SCULPTURE AND FRESCO DECORATION IN 1 7 T H AND 1 8 T H CENTURY VENETIAN VILLAS

O n e of d i e most striking a s p e c t s f Italian R e n a i s s a n c e a n d B a r o q u e villas is d i e d o s e c o n n e c t J o n thal links architecture a n d g a r d e n s . T h e t w o parts of (he r e s i d e n c e consiitute. architecturally s p e a k i n g , a unity, iliey w e r e p l a n n e d aecording to tlie s a m e rules a n d lie o n tlie s a m e axes. T h e g a r d e n . in t b e q u a t t r o c e n t o just a small o u t d o o r e x t e n s i o n of d i e h o u s e , t o w h i c h it w a s o f t e n c o n n e c t e d b y tlie i n t e r m e d i a n of a p o r c h o r a loggia, gradually increased its d i m e n s i o n s a n d i m p o r t a n c e . Its d e c o r a t i o n l i e c a m e richer a n d c o m p l i cate. a n d in s o m e interesiing Gases an i c o n o g r a p h y linked to thal i n s i d e t h e n e a r b y h o u s e w a s a d o p t e d also f ö t d i e g a r d e n : A l o n g t h e itinerary of liouse a n d g a r d e n a story w a s re> e a l e d , t h r o u g h p a i n t i n g s and statu e s a s well a s by m e a n s of die Vegetation. A detailed letter written by Alessandro Hniccesi t o B e r n a r d o B e m b o a r o u n d 1480 e x p l a i n e d thal t h e c h o i c e of plants in t h e Medici Villa at Careggi n e a r Flore n c e c o r r e s p o n d e d t their mythological c o n n e c d o n s . Statues w e r e a d o r n i n g g a r d e n s since antiquity. At t h e lx-g i n n i n g of t h e sixteenth Century in Rome. starting with t h e B e l v e d e r e Court in t h e Vatican. archaeological collections w e r e usually e x h i b i t e d in g a r d e n s , c o n e e i v e d as sort of o p e n air m u s e u m s . Since a r o u n d 1550. a ü t i q u e s t a t u e s (in c a s e of necessity c o m p l e t e d with m o d e r n o n e s ) b e c a m e part of t h e g e n e r a l p r o g r a m w h i c h involved every a s p e e l of t h e c o m p o s i t u m , f r o m p a i n t e d a n d plastic d e c o r a t i o n to t h e Vegetation a n d t h e f o u n t a i n s , giving f o r m to an effective G e s a m t k u n s t w e r k . At thal t i m e t h e so-called "iconograp h e r " c a m e t o t h e fore, a highly culüvated p e r s o n w h o s e p t o f o u n d k n o w l e d g e w a s e m p l o y e d t o establish t h e sophistlcated i c o n o g r a p h i c p r o g r a m , thal usually c e l e b r a t e d the p a t r o n a n d Iiis CÜcIe. This was t h e case for Villa Medici at Castello n e a r Florence, Villa Giulia in R o m e . Villa d'F.ste in Tivoli. Villa I ' a r n e s e at Caprarola a n d Villa Aldob r a n d i n i at Frascati, w h o s e i c o n o g r a p h i c p r o g r a m s w e r e s u g g e s t e d b y t h e well k n o w n s c h o l a r s B e n e d e t t o Varchi. Annibal Caro, Firro I.igorio a n d G i o v a n Battista Agucchi. a n d ( w i t h t h e e x c e p t i o n of the p r o g r a m ot t h e villa ol Castello w h i c h w as limited in t h e g a r d e n ) , Involved both interior a n d exterior. i.e. b u i l d i n g s a n d g a r d e n s . T h e texts ot Firro Ligorio a n d F a t h e r Agucchi a r e detailed d e s c r i p t i o n s of t h e i c o n o g r a p h i c p r o g r a m s of Villa d Este a n d of Villa Aldob r a n d i n i , w h i l e Giorgio Vasari illustrated. in Iiis Vite d e ' piü eccellcnti Aicbitetü Fittori, et Scultori italianf, t h e p r o g r a m of t h e g a r d e n of Castello. 1 T h e s a m e d e v e l o p m e n t l o o k p l a c e in t h e Venetian lerraferma, w h e r e , as it is well know n. villa architecture w a s primarily l i n k e d t o t h e agricultural exploitation of t h e lields. in conirast t o t h e leisure p u r p o s e of most of central Italian vil-

las. 2 Statuary a p p e a r e d in t h e villas of t h e V'eneto in t h e 1530s-1540s, c o n t e m p o r a n e o u s l y . o r e v e n b e f o r e f r e s c o d e c o r a t i o n . A m o n g t h e earliest e x a m p l e s a r e Villa G a r z o n i at Fontrecasale. w o r k of t h e architect a n d s c u l p t o r J a c o p o Sansovino. w h o e x e c u t e d bJmself t h e t w o i m p o n a n t fireplaces with m a n t e l p i e c e s a n d possibly t h e statues ol [he inn e r c o u r t y a r d a n d of t h e front g a r d e n . a n d Villa B r e n z o n e at Funta San Vigilio, w h e r e a n t i q u e a n d m o d e r n sc ulptures, a e c o m p a n i e d b y bitin inscriptions. w e r e d i s t r i b u t e d a l o n g t h e itinerary of t h e g a r d e n . a e c o r d i n g t o t h e p r o g r a m d e vised a r o u n d 1540 by t h e o w n e r himself. A g o s t i n o Brenz o n e . Since t h e 1530s. with S a n s o v i n o ' s Biblioteca Marciana a n d l.oggetta, b o t h in Venice. Statuary b e c a m e a f u n d a mental o r n a m e n t o f Venetian R e n a i s s a n c e architecture. In Iiis Q u a t t r o libri deH'archiicttura' ( p u b l i s h e d in 1570) Falladio s o m e t i m e s m e n t i o n e d t h e s c u l p t o r s of Iiis buildings. a s it w a s t h e c a s e for t h e s c u l p t u r e s for t h e f o u r e n t r a n c e stairways of t h e R o t o n d a . a w o r k of L o r e n z o Rubini. a n d a l w a y s r e p r o d u c e d t h e m in t h e illustrations, bin h e did not e x t e m l Iiis a t t e n t i o n t o t h e g a r d e n . O n t h e contrary. Vinc e n z o Scamozzi, in Iiis Idea della architettura universale', p u b l i s h e d in Venice in 1615. w r o t e of s t a t u e s in villa gard e n s , r e c o m m e n d i n g to distribute t h e m s o a s t o lel t h e axial v i e w u n o b s t a i c t e d . a n d s u g g e s t e d a s s u b j e c t s of f o u n tains N e p t u n e . M o s e s striking w ater. Apollo, y o u n g Tritons, river gods, n y m p h s , putti with d o l p h i n s a n d s o o n . From t h e s e c o n d half of t h e s e v e n t e e n t h Century statues in t h e g a r d e n s of t h e \ e n e t o i n c r e a s e d incredibly in n u m b e r a n d i m p o r t a n c e . b e c o m i n g , t o g e t h e r with plants in potS ( e s p e d a l l y citrus) 1 , t h e diain f e a t u r e a n d o r n a m e n t 01 t h e o t h e r w i s e (|uite s i m p l e layoul of t h e g a r d e n s . that w h e r e generally r e c t a n g u l a r in f o r m a n d s u b d i v i d e d in S q u a r e c o n i p a r t m e n t s b y p e r p e n d i c u l a r roails. The prolileralion of s t a t u e s w a s d u e to t h e c o m b i n a t i o n o f t w o factors: t h e availability of an e a s y t o w o r k a n d q u i t e resistant l i m e s t o n e . t h e SO-called pietra t e n e r a f r o m t h e Berici a n d E u g a n e a n Hills. Costozza a n d Nanto. a n d of e x t r e m e l y a b l e artisans. or heiter artists, w h o . w o r k i n g for g e n e r a d o n s in large "botteghe". o r W o r k s h o p s , transmitted their p r o l e s s i o n f r o m f a t h e r to s o n a n d t o a large g r o u p of pupils. T h e y c o u l d deliver in shtMl t i m e an i n c r e d i b l e n u m l x T of p i e c e s o f q u i t e a high quality. The Marinali of \ icenza a n d t h e Bonazza of F a d u a a r e t h e most f a m o u s b o t t e g h e . but m a n y o t h e r s c o u l d b e m e n t i o n e d . ' So. [he villas of t h e V'eneto w e r e i n v a d e d by a silent, w h i t e c r o w d . a m o u n t i n g u p t o o n e h u n d r e d a n d e v e n m o r e , in t h e s a m e g a r d e n . The tarne of Venetian artists r e a c h e d all F u r o p e : In 1717 G i o v a n n i Bonazza seht statu e s of t h e f o u r parts of t h e d a y to t h e Kussian court for t h e

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g a r d e n of t h e S u m m e r Palace in St. Petersburg. For Peterhof Iiis s o g A n t o n i o e x e c u t e d in 1757 s t a t u e s of Flora. P o m o n a . Z e p h y r a n d Vertumnus, B e t w e e n che m o r e c o m m o n s u b jects 6f statuary, w h o s e p u r p o s e was to c e l e b r a t e t h e o w n er a n d Iiis family. Iiis ideals. virtue. f a m e o v e r time. vvisdom. Gulture a n d agriculture ( t h e inain r e a s o n of t h e e x i s t e n c e of t h e villa) w e r e allegorical figures, t h e f o u r parts of the world. t h e f o u r Clements, the f o u r s e a s o n s . t h e f o u r parts of t h e tlay. t h e arts. O l y m p i c deities. R o m a n h e r o e s . n y m p h s a n d satyrs - a r e p e t t o r y traditional s i n c e t h e s i x t e e n t h Century r e p r e s e n t e d also in t h e f r e s c o d e c o r a t i o n inside. Their imagcs w e r e taken f r o m classical m a n u a l s , like V i n c e n z o Cartari's 'Imagini d e i dei'j a n d Pierio Valeriano"s 'Hierog l j phica', p u b l i s h e d b o t h in 1S56, the First in Venice a n d t h e s e c o n d in Basel, a n d C e s a r e Ripa's Iconologia', w h o s e first e d i t i o n , f o l l o w e d b y several others. a p p e a r e d in R o m e in 1593- B e t w e e n t h e most interesting d o c u m e n t s w e must rem e m b e r t h e so-called a l b u m del Marinali', a rieh d o s s i e r of d r a w i n g s by O r a z i o a n d Iiis Workshop r e p r o d u c i n g . in several s h e e t s , a varied repertory of statuary for g a r d e n s . but a l s o f o r c h u r c h e s , with possible alternatives, t o d a y at t h e M u s e o Civico of B a s s a n o del G r a p p a . near A n g a r a n o , birthplace of t h e slonecutters" family." W ith time n e w Images w e r e a d d e d t o t h e traditional o n e s . like p e a s a n t s , exotic Indians. Turkish a n d oriental m e n . g r o t e s q u e figures a n d witty d w a r f s . m a s q u e s a n d character.s f r o m t h e c o m m e d i a dell'arte. interacting o n e a n o t h e r as in a lively o p e n air theatre. A g o o d e x a m p l e is t h e statuary of t h e g a r d e n of t h e B a r o q u c villa W i d m a n n at Bagnoli di Sopra. c o m p o s e d öf o n e h u n d r e d a n d sixty p i e c e s b e i n g pari of different cycles. b e t w e e n w h i c h t h o s e e x e c u t e d b y Anton i o Bonazza a n d f o l l o w e r s in 1742 f o r L o d o v i c o W i d m a n n r e p r e s e n t i n g putd h o l d i n g the twelve Z o d i a c signs, b u t als o soldiers. m a s q u e s . an aristoeratie c o u p l e . a h u n t e r a n d a p e a s a n t vvoman. an old m a n a n d an old w o m a n quarrelling. giving t h e impression of assisting t o o n e of t h e g o l d o n i a n plays o f t e n r e p r e s e n t e d h e r e in t h e e i g h t e e n t h Century." Partieularly lively a r e t h e so-called indiös of Villa Breda al P o n t e di Brenta. t h e w o r k of G i o v a n n i B o n a z z a . T h e display of statues w a s i n t e n d e d t o transmit a m e s s a g e , exactly like the f r e s c o e s inside. a s w e said. But w h i l e most paintings are still t h e r e a n d . e v e n if in ptx^r c o n d i t i o n . a r e u s u ally r e a d a b l e . h a v e Ix-en p h o t o g r a p h e d a n d studied," statu e s have b e e i l o f t e n r e m o v e d f r o m o n e p l a c e t o a n o t h e r .

T o t h e original n u c l e u s n e w s t a t u e s w e r e a d d e d in t i m e a n d o t h e r s w e r e e l i m i n a t e d . sold or t r a n s f e r r e d , s o that it is difficult t o r e c o n s t r u e t their original n u m b e r a n d display. T h e m i n o r interest of s c h o l a r s f o r s c u l p t u r e a n d g a r d e n s c o m p a r e d t o p a i n t i n g s m a k e tliings e v e n m o r e difficult. A limite d n u m b e r of i n v e n t o r i e s of statues in t h e g a r d e n s o f t h e V e n e t o exist, Few a t t e m p t s h a v e b e e n m a d e t o s t u d y their m e a n i n g a n d r e a s o n . H o w e v e r . with t h e h e l p of interesting d o c u m e n i s . w e will try t o c o n s i d e r s o m e cycles that a r e still readable. T h e first. early e x a m p l e . is Villa Barbarei at Maser, built a r o u n d 1556 o n p l a n s p r e p a r e d b y A n d r e a Palladio t o g e t h e r with t h e p a t r o n D a n i e l e B a r b a r o o n t h e final s l o p e s of t h e A s o l o hüls, a n d c o m p l e t e d in t h e f o l l o w i n g y e a r s with frescoes by Paolo Veronese a n d sculptures by Alessandro Vittoria. T h i s p e r f e c t e x a m p l e o f t h e Integration b e t w e e n int e r i o r a n d e x t e r i o r d e c o r a t i o n f o l l o w s t h e i c o n o g r a p h i c prog r a m p r o p o s e d b y D a n i e l e B a r b a r o himself. T h e p r e c i s e m e a n i n g of t h e d e c o r a t i v e p r o g r a m of Villa B a r b a r o . e x p r e s s e d thrOUgh f r e s c o e s , s t u e c o s a n d statuary. partly painte d in t h e l i p p e r s t ö r e o f t h e b u i l d i n g a n d partly t r i d i m e n sional. in t h e g a r d e n . is not c l e a r in e v e r y detail. M a n y s c h o l a r s h a v e b e e n i n v o l v e d to d e e i p h e r it. H a r m o n y in t h e m i c r o c o s m of t h e family. in t h e g o v e r n m e n t of t h e land. in Venetian politics a n d in t h e c o s m o s is certainly o n e of t h e m a i n items. H a r m o n y is i n t e n d e d in a Wide s e n s e . a s forl u n e , p e a c e , love. c o n c o r d . Allegorical a n d m y t h o l o g i c a l f i g u r e s are e l e m e n t s of t h e l a n g u a g e t h r o u g h w h i c h this m e s s a g e is e x p r e s s e d . Veronese. Vittoria a n d a l s o t h e o t h e r p a t r o n , M a r c a n t o n i o Barbaro. b r o t h e r of D a n i e l e , w e r e r e s p o n s i b t e for its d i s p l a y in t h e interior. in t h e g i a r d i n o s e g r e t o at t h e b a c k , a n d in t h e g a r d e n in front of t h e mansion." Let u s n o w c o n s i d e r a later e x a m p l e , Villa M a n i n at Pass a r i a n o . t h e r e s i d e n c e of t h e p o w e r f u l family w h i c h b o u g h t t h e a c c e s s i o n in t h e Venetian nobillty at a high price in 1651 d u r i n g t h e Cretan war. T h e c o n s t a i c t i o n of t h e villa. locate d n e a r C o d r o i p o in t h e e a s t e r n district of t h e Serenissima called Friuli, s t a n e d with Luclovico I M a n i n b e f o r e 1656 a n d was frequently interrupted and therefore aecomplisbed

Fig. >. Villa Manin ai Passarkmo, Ball lookina north tQwards ibe gardens. painled by Louis Dorigny with the Triumph of Spring' and allegorical figures

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only o n e Century later. Villa Manin h a s an a m b i t i o u s architeetUial p l a n in which e l e m e n t s of tradilional Venetian villa a r c h i t e c t u r e w e r e r e i n t e r p r e t e d in t h e Light of che R o m a n B a r o q u e .CO w hich refers i h e large 'piazza q u a d r a " ( b e g u n in 1707) a n d "piazza r o t o n d a " in front ( b e g u n in 1718). T h e t w o t o w e r s at t h e s i d e of t h e e n t r a n c e gate, p r e c e e d e d b y t h e d r a w b r i d g e o v e r t h e " p e s c h i e r a " . a l l u d e t o t h e feudal p o w e r of t h e n e w aristocracy a n d r e m i n d u s at t h e s a m e time t h e utilitarian " torri c o l o m b a r e " of local tradilion. T w o r e p r e s e n t a l i o n s of H e r c u l e a n l a b o u r s o n t o p of t h e e n t r a n c e w e l c o m e the visitor a n d others w e r e visible in t h e h u g e rect a n g u l a r g a r d e n at t h e r e a r of t h e m a n s i o n . b e g u n a r o u n d 1715. c o m p l e t e d fifty y e a r s later in its original g e o m e t r i c a l f o r m , a n d in great part d e s t r o y e d at t h e b e g i n n i n g of t h e n i n e t e e n t h Century t o g i v e place t o a p i c t u r e s q u e park. Rear g a r d e n s a n d front c o u r t y a r d s a r e clearly c o n c e i v e d a s o u t s i d e e x t e n t i o n of t h e p a l a c e . a c c o r d i n g t o t h e R e n a i s s a n c e a n d B a r o q u e tradition. A great a m o u n t of statues, m o r e than t w o h u n d r e d , a r e d i s t r i b u t e d in t h e villa, as well in t h e b u i l d i n g s as in t h e o p e n air Spaces. To g o b a c k to t h e eighte e n t h Century formal a s p e c t of t h e g a r d e n , that h a d an e x t e n s i o n of eighty "campi". w e must relay o n d o c u m e n t s . Visual a n d written. C o n t e m p o r a r y writings. a s D a n i e l e Florio's 'Le Grazie', illustrate t h e villa a n d its g a r d e n s . O f great interest is a r e f i n e d series of tvvelve e i g h t e e n t h - c e n t u ry prints w h i c h illustrate in details. with t h e h e l p of t h e t w o l e g e n d a , l n d i c e d e l l e c o s e piü notabili del l o c c o di Perser e a n o di NN HH Co. Co. Manini', t h e g e n e r a l p l a n of t h e g a r d e n , d i v i d e d in q u a d r a n g u l a r c o m p a n m e n t s by p c r p e n dicular r o a d s . with p a v i l i o n s like t h e B a g n o di Diana, t w o f o r t r e s s e s in m i n i a t u r e , o n e regulär a n d o n e irregulär, referring p e r h a p s t o t h e n e a r b y P a l m a n o v a a n d to t h e m o d e l s of t h e French military e n g i n e e r V a u b a n , an o p e n air theatre, a labyrinth. w a t e r t o w e r s , sun-dials. f o u n t a i n s , b a s i n s , a n d f o u r small artificial h ü l s at d i e n o r t h e n d , o p p o s i t e to the front of t h e palace. w h i c h a r e t h e o n l y surviving part of t h e Baroque plan."

From t h e g e n e r a l f l a t n e s s of t h e site e m e r g e d e l e m e n t s like t h e hüls, s u s p e n d e d g a r d e n s . a Perimetrie w a l k a l o n g Che walls, t o w e r s and b e l v e d e r i . Chat a l l o w e d an e l e v a t e d overall v i e w . T h e f o u r hüls, s m a l l e r t h e lateral o n e s , h i g h e r t h e central o n e s , c r o w d e d with statues, a r e u s e d a s setling for t h e r e p r e s e n t a t i o n of m y t h o l o g i c a l events.'-' From vvest t o east t h e y r e p r e s e n t : T h e s o n s of Saturn. J o v e , N e p t u n e a n d Vulcan. s h a r i n g t h e w o r l d b e t w e e n t h e m s e l v e s ; Mount Etna with Pluto in Iiis chariot r a p e s P r o s e r p i n a . w h i l e t h e crying n i m p h C i a n e is t r a n s f o r m e d in a f o u n t a i n : M o u n t P a r n a s s u s with Apollo. Muses a n d P e g a s u s : a n d A p o l l o s h o o t i n g a r r o w s l o t h e Piton. T h e Farne p r o p a g a t e s t h e s e a c h i e v e m e n t s with a t r u m p e l . a figure o f t e n r e p r e s e n t e d in p a i n t e d cycies. A p r e c i s e c o r r e s p o n d e n c e links t h e f r e s c o e s in t h e w e s t a n d east staircases. e x e c u t e d b e t w e e n t h e e n d of t h e s e v e n t e e n t h a n d t h e b e g i n n i n g of t h e e i g h t e e n t h Century, with i h e hüls at t h e n o r t h e r n e n d of t h e g a r d e n : J o v e strikes with lightnings t h e giants is l i n k e d t o t h e o u t s i d e Etna, at w h o s e feet t h e giants w e r e b u r i e d . M o r e . Latona t r a n s f o r m i n g t h e i n h a b i t a n t s of Lycia in frogs in t h e ceiling of t h e east staircase is related to A p o l l o and Mount Parnassus, a n d t h e s p r i n g r o o m p a i n t e d b y Dorigny c o r r e s p o n d s a l s o l o t h e hill P a r n a s s u s , w h i l e i h e allee of t h e Erme is a r e f e r e n c e t o t h e f e c u n d i t y of t h e land a n d t o t h e agriculcural interests of (he Manin :ii P a s s a r i a n o . " Frescoes a n d staiu a r y in t h e M a n i n O l y m p u s of P a s s a r i a n o a l l u d e t o the glo-

Fig. •). The 'macebina' of Villa Lampertico, called La Deltetasa', at Moiitegeilc/ella. in ci dreiteilig qf OraXiO Meniiuili. Uassano, Museo Civico

X

rificattop of Che family. its n o b l e position. its interest in i h e a n s . iis political view, its a d m i r a t i o n for B a r o q u e R o m e a n d for the F r a n c e of Louis XIV. Ltke in Versailles \ v e meet Apollo, Diana a n d their m o t h e r Latona. T h e n a m e o f t h e p a t r o n , Ludovico, is linkeel t o (hat of t b e king of France. T h e relation betvveen exlerior a n d interior d e c o r a t i o n in Villa Manin r e m e m b e r s ihai b e i w e e n t h e t w o v a s e s of War a n d P e a c e .11 t h e b e g i n n i n g of the tapis vert a n d t h e t w o r o o m s with t h e s a m e n a m e at t h e extremities of the Galerie des glaces, at Versailles. C o - o r d i n a t o r of a great part of t h e p r o g r a m w a s p r o b a b l y G i o v a n n i Ziborghi. "mastro di Casa" f r o m 1730 t o 1765. a n d . later. B e r n a r d i n o Z e n d r i n i . " In Villa B a r b a r a a f e w inscriptions in the interior of t h e h o u s e . in t h e secret g a r d e n a n d in t h e grotto h e i p us t o u n d e r s t a n d the p r o g r a m of the Villa. As already m e n t i o n e d , ins c r i p t i o n s linked t o statuary w e r e the g n i d i n g line of the g a r d e n of Villa B r e n z o n e at Punta San Vigilio. Even m o r e relevant is the role of inscriptions in the g a r d e n of Villa Barbarigo at Valsanzibio in the E u g a n e a n Hills, started a r o u n d 1660 a n d c o m p l e t e d b e f o r e the e n d of the Century, o n e of t h e best p r e s e r v e d B a r o q u e g a r d e n s of t h e Veneto. a n d als o o n e of the m o r e richly d o c u m e n t e d . It lies in a Valley bet w e e n t w o hüls, a n d h a s a simple, quite r e c t a n g u l a r plan, d i v i d e d in t w e n t y - f o u r Square c o m p a r t m e n t s b y p e r p e n d i c F$g; 5. The mciccbiiia'DJ Villa lamperHcö, caSed 'LaBetiztosä', ai Montegaldeüa, in a drawtng pp. - i 6 - 5 3 .

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11 scr: Michelangelo Muraro, La villa cli Passariano e l'architetto Giovanni Ziborghi, in: Tagungsbe rieht der Dreiländer-Fachtagung der Kunsthistoriker, Graz 1972. pp. 44-60; Francesca Venulo. Giovanni Zlbörghi "maslro cli casa" Manin. in: "Venezia Arti-, 5, 1991, pp. 73-80. 15 As suggested by Camillo Semenzato, Una proposta per il giardino di Valsanzibio. in: Arte Veneta', XXIX, 1975. pp. 219-223Bul differeni hands have executed Ehe statuary of the garden. On Villa Barbarigo see: Lionello I'uppi. The Giardino Barbarigo at Valsanzibio, in: 'Journal of Garden History', CD, 1983. pp. 281-300: Margherita Azzi Visentini (editor). Die Gärten eil., pp. 138-141; Lionello I'uppi. "Quivi e l'inferno e quivi il paradiso". II giardino di Villa Barbarigo a Valsanzibio nel l'adovano. in: Monique Mosser and Geroge Teyssot (editors). L'architettura del giardino d'oecidente, Milano 1992. pp. 181-183; Loris Fontana. Valsanzibio. Valsanzibio (Padova) 1990. 16 On the Steps between the garden antl the terrace in front of the house the following long inscriplion is addressed to the visitor: "Tu. ehe curioso giungi. 8 ä parte, ä parte f Giri per rintracciar vaghezze rare. / Osserva. e di. che. s'una pur n'appare. / E tuttO di Natura, e nulla d'Arte. / Qui piü splendenti il Sol suoi rai eomparte, / Qui Venere piü bella esce dal Mare: / Sue mutanze la luna hä qui piü ciliare. / Qui non giunge ä turbar furor di Marie. .' Quivi Salurno i parti suoi non rode. / Qui Giove giova. ed'hä Sereno'l Viso; / Quivi perde Mercurio ogni sua frode. / Qui non ha luoco il pianto, hä sede'I riso; / Qui della Corte'l fulminc non s'ode; / Quivi e l'inferno, e quivi il Paradiso." 17 On the program of ihe Barbarigo garden see: Lionello Puppi. "Quivi" (see : fÖQtnote 15); Loris Fontana, cit. The last has read in the statuary of ihe garden references lo the Turkish war in which Venice was involved al ihe time. as well as ollier allusions to the fainily affairs in thls war. For example the verses "Puote solo Endiniion fennar la luna" would refer. aecording to Fontana, to the tuoon of Islam, and not only to Diana. 18 Nicolö Beregan, Dilucidazione del parterre filosofico nella Villa deH'Autore ne' sohborghi di Vicenza detta il Moracchino. in: Poesie diverse di Niecola Beregani. Padova 17H6. pp. 87-90: Margherita Azzi Visentini. II giardino veneto tra Seite e Ottocento e le sue fonti. Milano 1988. pp. 167-170. 19 The eighteenth-century iconographic programs open to the new philosophical and scientific approach of enliglitennienl. see: Barbara Mazza. II trionfo della scienza o w e r o "La luce dell'intelligenza vince le lenebre dell'ignoranza". in: Studi veneziani'. n.s., XXIII (1992). pp. 163-181. 20 See. on the iconographyc programme of the gardens of Versailles. Claude Nivelon. Vie de Charles Le Brun, ms., Bibliothequc Nationale. MS. Fr. 12987; abstracts in Pierre d e Nolhac. La creation de Versailles d'apres les sources inediles. Etüde sur les origines et les premieres transforniations du chSteau et des jardins. Versailles 1901. 21 On Villa Cordellina see: Kemo Schiavo. Ca Villa Cordellina Lombardi cli Montecchio Maggiore, Vicenza 1975; Idem. Giovanni Battista Tiepolo alla villa Cordellina di Montecchio Maggiore. Vicenza 1989: Lionello Puppi (editor), La Cordellina: l'Olimpo in villa. in: I Tiepolo e il Setlecento vicentino cit.. pp. 296-381. On the statues of Villa Cordellina see: Remo Schiavo. La Villa Cordellina cit.: Giovanni Mariacher, Le sculture di Villa Cordellina I.ombardi. in: Lionello Puppi (editor). La Cordellina cit.. pp. 321 323. Remo Schiavo has noted affinities on the treatment of laces in paintings and sculptures. For the involvement of GiambaKiSUI Tiepolo in the gardens of villas where he painted. see: Margherita Azzi Visentini. I giardini del Tiepolo, in: Lionello I'uppi (editor). Giambatlista Tiepolo .... acts of ihe nieeting (1996). in prlnt. In 1863 have lieen sold ihe four statues originally on the eastern and western small towers of the villa, representing Time. Aesculapius. Fortune and Hercules. On the ceiling of the main hall of Villa Cordellina Tiepolo painied the Triumph of Virtue and Nobility in the centre. and around it six monochromes with allegorical figures. representing Politics. War. Poetry and l'ainting. Music. Merit and Advice (Consiglio). the two last taken from Ripa; in the east and wesl walls of the sanie rm The Continence of Scipio and The family of Dario in front of Alexander, related to the eivte virtues of tiie patron.

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white on the "sovrapporle" were painted the four continents. On the iconographic programme of Tiepolo's frescoes. prolv ably inspired by Francesco Algarotti. see: Lionello Puppi. Carlo Cordellina committente d'artisti. Novitä e appunti SO G. Massari, G.B. Tiepolo. F. Guardi, F. Lorenzi. O. Calderari, in: 'Arte Veneta'. XXII. 1968. pp. 212-216: Barbara Mazza, Ii trionfo della Ragione. Giambatlista Tiepolo per Carlo Cordellina, in: Lionello Puppi (editor). La Cordellina cit., pp. 306-315. Statues, vases. trophes and various plastic decoration figure in Tiepolo's paintings. bul mostly copied from different models, particularly ancient ones. made available by recently published repertories. On the subjeel see now: Giuseppe Pavanello and Paola Rossi papers of the congress on Giambattista Tiepolo. Lionello Puppi (editor). in preparation. On the conservation problems of the garden statues see: Filippa Aliberti Gaudioso. Le sculture del giardino. Vicende e problemi di conservazione. in: Lionello Puppi (editor). La Cordellina cit.. pp. 324-328. 22 Tiepolo's drawings in the Victoria and Albert Museum were first connected to the Cordellina's statues by George Knox. Catalogue of the Tiepolo Drawings in the Victoria and Albert Museum. London 1960, nn, 74-80, pp. 16-17. 55-56. For George Knox the plastic group generally identified as Mars and Venus represents instead Rinaldo and Armida. the sanie subject of two drawings. Five similar drawings of group of figures related lo Statuary, with their pedestal, by Giambatlista. numbered by the anist's own band, in the Berlin Printroom (inv. Nn. 4487-90 and 12322), are mentioned by J. Byam Shaw. Domenico Tiepolo. London 1962, pp. 39-40. vvho discusses also a serie of drawings by Giandomenico clearly related to garden statuary. 23 The painting. in a private collection of Geneve, was first published as a young work. dated about 1724-25. by Morassi. who identjfied ihe subject as the Death of Narciso or of Giacinto. See: Antonio Morassi. Settecento inedilo, in: Arte Veneta'. XVII. 1963; Aldo Rizzi (editor). Mostra del Tiepolo. Dipinii. exhibition catalogue, Milano 1971, n. 10, p. 31. 24 See: Lionello Puppi. I Tiepolo a Vicenza e le statue dei "nani" a Villa Valmarana a San Basliano, in 'Alti dcll'lstitulo Veneto di Scienze Lettere Arti", 1967-68, pp. 243-50: Idem. I "nani" di Villa Valmarana a Vicenza. in: Antichitä Viva', VII. 1968. 2. pp. 34-46. 25 Muttoni, in bis exceptional series of drawings for the gardens of the Upper Villa, represents statues with great accuraey. On the Trissino villas in Trissino see: Margherita Azzi Visentini, Francesco Muttoni architetto di giardini: Villa Trissino Marzotto a Trissino. in: Arte Veneta'. XLIV. 1993. pp. 34-47: C. Crovella. Le ville Trissino-Marzotto a Trissino. docloral thesis. University of l 'dine. 1995-96. pp. 79-88. with reproduetion. subject and location of the eighty statues today in the gardens of the two Trissino villas, mainly the work of Angelo De Putti and Giaconio Cassetti. of the Marinali school. 26 On the garden of Villa Pisani see Andre Corlx>z, II Parco di Stra (1719): piste per una ricerca. in: II giardino come labirinto della storia. II, papers of the Conference. Palermo 1990. pp. 25-47. Andre Corboz has noted that Giambattista Tiepolo, who worked al the main hall of Villa Pisani many years alter the consiruction of the garden, painted elements of Frigimelica's walls of the villa many times in Iiis work QOC. cit., pp. 31, 33. foolnote 33). In the inventory of the Villa Pisani at Stra made by Giannantonio Selva in 1806 are listed the following statues by Antonio Bonazza. mainly groups. still in place: Apollo and Diana. Nemesis, Hercules and Sole. Venus and Mars. Zephyr and Flora, Neptune and Pomona, Aurora and Triton. Indolence and Gluttony. Envy and Mida. Daphne and Apollo, Arrogante and Ira. Cfr. R. Gallo. I na famiglia patrizia. I Pisani ed i palazzi di S. Stefano e di Stra. in: 'Archivio veneto', XXXIV-XXXV (1944). 67-70, Venezia 1945. pp. 65-228: L. Fontana. Villa Pisani a Stra. Fiesso d'Artico (Ve). 1983. p. 66. footnote 28. Twelve statues representing the ans (music. geometry. etc.) are at the top of the exagonal pavilion of the garden. 27 On the huge "macchina". around eighl meters high, of Villa Conti Lampertico. probably originally coneeived as a founlain. see: Renato Cevese, Ville della provincia di Vicenza. Milano 1980 (first edition 1971). pp. K)8. 410: Franco Barbieri and G. Menato, Pietra eil., pp. 92-95.

28 Camillo Semenzalo. La scultura dt., pp. 98. 103. fig. 72; Piatico Barbieri. Le scene d t , pp. 233-234. 29 The drawing is one of a dossier of 289 given by tfae anisi ai bis native town of Cima, and today in the Archivio Comunale of nearby Pödezza, in northern ltaly (Fondo Muttoni. XV, 135). Natalia Grilli. ü n archivio ineclilo dcU'architetto Francesco Muttoni a Porlezza. Firenze 1991. p. 1%. 30 The gardens of Villa la Pietra. near Florence. were planned in a Renaissance revival style from 1904 under the direclion of their ovvner, Arthur Acton. and of Iiis gardener. Mariano, with a series of three terraces looking down to Fiesole and Florence. A great nnniber of Venetian garden statues. a gianl Hercules and others by Orazio Marinali's Workshop, and others allributed to Francesco Bonazza, were distrihuted in the gardens. Masques of the commedia dell'arte were located in an opcn-air theatre. A recent archival discovery kindly communicated by Fernando Rigon have revealed (hat an entire group of statues of the Marinalis were bouglu by Anhur Acton around 1924 from Villa Santogiocaffi I'edrina of Ponte di Barbarano Vicentino. See: Harold Acton. Ville Toscane. Milano 1973. pp. 145-118; Luigi Zangheri. Ville della provincia di Firenze. Milano 1989. pp. 132-147. On December 1 Ith. 1918. at an an sale at French and Company in New York, rwenty stone statues, made in the Workshop of Giovanni BonaZza and Iiis sons, were boughl by Henry Edwards Huntington, from the estate of Luther Kountze, who had boughl them from a garden near Padua. They represent Mars.

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l-'if>. 10. V.w slatue of Time' in Vtita BatbarigO (tt Valscmzibio. from 1). Kosselli. le fahl triebe .... 1702

Minerva. Perseus. Fire. Light. Music. Dance. Dancing Peasant. Piping N'ymph. Musician, Baccant, Italian Peasant. Vouthful Vi'arrior, Feniale Vi'arrior. Amazon, Peace, Victory. Flora. Husbandry and Arboriculture. Huntington, a very successful man of commerce enriched with the railroad husiness. was then living in New York at Iiis residence of 57lh Street and Fifth Avenue, but was in the meantime very busy with the constniction of buildings and gardens in the large California Fstale of San Marino. Pasadena (six hundred acres), ten miles north of Los Angeles, thal he considered. since Iiis firsl visit in 1892. a specially-favored land. He acquired the property in 1903. after a long, careful investigation about the best place for Iiis dreamed estate, at the death of J. de Barth Shorb, its previous owner. Tlie constniction of the gardens Started in 1904 under the supervision of VCfiliam Henrich, with (he Lily Pond. the Palm Garden and the Desert Garden, followed by the North Vista. the Rose Garden and the Cyclad Collection. The Venetian statues. backed by azaleas and palms. were located in the North Vista, closed at the far end by the San Gabriel Mountains. The gardens w ere officially opened on August 30th. 1919. See: James Thorpe, The Crealion of the Gardens, in: The Founding ol the Henry E, Huntington Library and Art Gallen-. San Marino. Ca. 1969, pp. 332-350. 31 Sotheby s sale of October 25th, 1989. offered a group of sevenleen early eighteenth-century stone statues from a Venetian garden attributed to Giovanni and Antonio Bonazza. Orazio Marinali and Giovanni Marchion. Let's hope thal at least this small group will Staj togelher!