Villa D’Este – 16.4.2010

City atmosphere everywhere as we all pile out of a big Mary K and Pepto-Bismol pink bus. Its logo was a dolphin to make it even better. In the middle of the busy town was the small entrance to the grandiose garden and villa. We walked in to a square courtyard to the left of the ticket booth. The courtyard was three stories tall with an open colonnade on the ground level on three sides. The fourth side was a tall plain wall separating the villa from the town. Orange trees were spread randomly along the colonnade. There was a tall wide fountain on the fourth wall. Once up on the second floor I headed to the right in to a rectangular room along a lengthy corridor. The paintings on the walls were grotesque only when you take a closer look. Strange creatures such as a goose like creature with an exaggerated neck and human breasts and face. The majority of the content was breasts almost as if the artist was obsessed with them. One of the larger and taller rooms had three sets of double doors opening out to a small porch with a set of stairs at each open end to the first level of the garden. I began on the right with my weaving path back and forth, up and down the multiple terraces. It was peaceful as I found the fountain you could walk under was in the process of restoration. Just down from it along its axis was the wall of 100 fountains. Of all the villas and gardens I saw and learned about in Carol’s history class, this is the one was the one I wanted to see the most. It was a narrow, elongated, and cool outdoor space. This is exactly where I would hangout among different faced fountains to stay cool in the summer as I continued throughout the rest of the garden I was pleasantly surprised by the diversity of styles and scenes of all the fountains. You better go to the bathroom before entering the garden because the sound of the flowing water is inescapable. Two other spaces began to compete with the wall of 100 fountains as my favorite part of the garden. One was at the end of the axis where stone walls lining a wide pathway to a gate. Thin metal strips creating arches connected the two walls to enclose the top. Growing on the metal arches were vines on the verge of blooming. Along the base of the walls were colorful tulips except in the middle of each wall was a full heighted fountain. The other one was up at the highest terrace off to the side of the largest fountain was another small space with wisteria growing on the metal archway. At the end of the walkway lined with stone benches was a small fountain. The wisteria hanging down like clusters of purple fragrant grapes made the space. I plan on having a similar space in my home eventually to take me back to this moment pure joy and relaxation.