Allegory in Mediterranean Landscapes: Villa d’Este & Villa Adriana

Allegory in Mediterranean Landscapes: Villa d’Este & Villa Adriana M. Taylan Tosun

Around the Mediterranean, lots of gardens and lanscape elements from different old periods can be seen. Because of its large geography and historical past, Mediterranean lands are very important areas, especially the gardens of villas, palaces. Every period of gardens have their own characteristics about their past with sculptures, figures and ornaments.

Beside the aesthetical aspect, story-telling concept is in the foreground. Metaphoric garden design started from ancient periods with symbolizing water elements and channels as heavenly rivers or fruit trees as apples created by God. This idea continued until today.Lots of examples for different civilizations from different periods designed allegorical gardens with metaphore mythological creatures, stories or other ancient legends and myths. Allegories of 16th century Renaissance Italian garden of Villa d’Este and another important garden as 2nd century Ancient Roman garden of Villa Adriana are important instances in Mediterranean lands which have constructed in completely different centuries.

Villa d’Este constructed in Tivoli, near Rome in 16th century which known as its excessively fountains in its garden. It set the pace for progress of early European gardens with its architectural components and plan design. It settled on hills to view the lanscape of city easily like other Italian Reanissance Villas. In its huge garden there are level differences with stairs and ramps which affecting the planting scheme. Planting is in an order and divided by pathways at low levels of the garden while some areas at upper levels, thick planting can be seen.

So, it is one of the examples of a Reinasseance garden because of a contrast between natural and in order or system concepts. This apparent difference seems in this original plan of Villa d’Este drawn by Etienne Dupérac in 1573.

Villa d’Este plan by Etienne Dupérac

Aside planting, the water is the most important element and reason of its fame of the Villa d’Este. Because of its closeness with Aniene River, water tricks quite used. There are lots of basins and fountains on three different levels of the garden which are the Water Organ Fountain, the Neptune Fountain, Dragon Fountain and fish ponds at the lowest part. In addition, all garden oriented with smaller fountains like corridors with 100 and more taps which all watering at the same time or in an order. All of these fountains, basins, fish ponds and other water elements has a meaning and allegory with its ornaments, names, designs or sculptures. So, the landscape narrates with metaphorical elements and references to ancient periods.

Cardinal Ippolito who built Villa d’Este in 16th century, wants to have a new Garden of Hesperides which is a legendary ancient Greek garden where Hercules steals the golden apples of immortality from nymphs and a monster who protecting the Garden of Hesperides.

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Pirro Ligorio, the architect of Vila d’Este considered the allegories while designing the whole structure and landscape. At the entrance of the garden, a demand to feel entering a magical area. In 17th century, Cardinal Ippolito created a short pergola and planted a line of cypresses to emphasizing straightness from the entrance and whole view of garden linear.

Also the pathway intersections are another allegories that symbolizing the choices of Hercules in the Garden of Hesperides.

Entrance Gate of the garden

The Hundred Fountains

Rometta Fountain

The Hundred Fountains Avenue is one of the most famous parts of the garden. This straight area has one side of hundred fountains and the metaphorical part is the carved fouintainheads. There are lots of different types of carved figures like eagles, lillies or sailing boats. The flowing water goes through different levels and some amount of channels and they unite with other fountains like “Rometta” or “Oval” in garden. They smybolize some rivers and The Tiber River which divides Rome in two parts is one of the examples.

The Water Organ Fountain that which completed in 17th century has a difference from other Renaissance inspired fountains because of its inspirations of baroque period. Frenchman Claude Venard invented a system that a hydraulic organ in the fountain creates melodies.

Today still it is being activated for visitiors at specific hours in a day. Its details tell stories with carvings, small sculptures and reliefs. As the other fountains it metaphores the Garden of Hesperides elements like The Dragon fountain has four winged dragons which Hercules killed at the Garden of Hesperides or the Pegasus Fountain, a different allegory which symbolise the famous mythological creature Pegasus created by Medusa’s blood that to be fly.

The Water Organ Fountain and the detail of showing Opheus The Dragon Fountain charming the beasts

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Most of the statues in the garden of Villa d’Este, had taken by Cardinal Ippolito from 2nd century – built Villa of Hadrian because of the Renaissance period is the rebirth of art and mythology and appreciate allegory of sculptures and figures.

Fountain of Pegasus

Fountain Owl and mosaics details which symbolise the golden apples of Hesperides.

Hadrian’s Villa (Villa Adriana) constructed in Tivoli (Tibur in that period), Rome for emperor Hadrian in 2nd century. Until the decline of Roman empire, many emperors used the villa after Hadrian. Then it became an out of use complex so in 16th century, Cardinal Ippolito taken the mythological sculptures and marble motives to Villa d’Este. The complex has over 30 buildings like theatre, temples, baths, libraries and an allegoric landscape which also called sacred garden. Still there are large areas that unexcavated. Hadrian’s Villa is the most different complex in its century because it contains different architectural ideas and elements from old periods like Egypt and Greece. The reason why is, Hadrian was a traveler emperor and his favourite destinations were these two civilizations. As a result, “ideal city” concept bornt for Hadrian’s Villa. Hadrian inspired by the antiquity of ancient important buildings like Eygptian statues, dwarf, fertility god or Eerechtion of Athens and granite obelisks. In this large excavation-complex area, the most preserved parts reflects its allegoric landscape today.

The most protected and famous part of the Hadrian’s Villa is the Canopus place where is a large pool, surrounding by a collonade and marble statues. The Canopus symbolizes the Nile River. The name came from the underworld god who is from the island in Nile. It used for summer feasts and dinners for Serapis who is an Eygptian god that unite Eyptians and Greeks in a worship. The statues under the collonade are copies of mythological greek figures as Ares, Hermes, Athena, Secerus and two Amazones. Corinthial columns are another instance for inspiration of ancient Greek. Front of the pool, there is a building like a shell that ornamented with fountains and niches that can be Serapeum, which is a temple with Apis and Osiris Eygptian gods. Also there is a basin close to the main pool, symbolizes the Mediterranean Sea.

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The Canopus Area

The Serapium

In addition to mythological statues, there are marble statues that allegories Hadrian’s lover Antinous who drowned in Egypt. Aside buildings and columns, there are lots of details for creating allegories like mosaics in the theatre and baths.

Examples of Mosaics and Artpieces.

To conclude, two important Mediterranean landscape have connections and similarities even 14 centuries between them. Both famous for use of water elements and metaphorical sculptures, figures, carvings or other symbolic details. As a result cardinal and emperor both demanded to create a pleasing gardens for themselves and visitors. Guidance with narrative objects and artpieces are the key concepts in Mediterranean lands for centuries.

Villa d’Este

Hadrian’s Villa (Villa Adriana)

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