Villa Lante

Villa Lante Review

The village of Bagnaia is the site of 16th-century cardinal Alessandro Montalo's summer retreat; it's quite an extravaganza. The hillside garden and park that surround the two small, identical residences are the real draw—they were designed by virtuoso architect Giacomo Barozzi (circa 1507-73), known as Vignola, who later worked with Michelangelo on St. Peter's. On the lowest terrace a delightful Italian garden has a centerpiece fountain fed by water channeled down the hillside. On another terrace, a stream of water runs through a groove carved in a long stone table where the cardinal entertained his friends alfresco, chilling wine in the running water. That's only one of the most evident of the whimsical water games that were devised for the cardinal. The symmetry of the formal gardens contrasts with the wild, untamed park adjacent to it, reflecting the paradoxes of nature and artifice that are the theme of this pleasure garden.