villa lante

Only costs €5,00 entrance fee and well worth the money! Easy to reach by car. Beautiful landscaped Italian gardens with a series of fountains. Well worth a visit.

The Gardens of Villa Lante were created in 1566 by architect Jacopo da Vignola. Unlike many of Italy's grandest gardens, these never surrounded a home. The only buildings on the property are pavilions (called casinos) , which were built to accommodate Cardinal Garbara's taste for extravagant al fresco entertaining. The current management of Villa Lante is somewhat haphazard, and NO visitor's brochures in English are available. But these gardens are nevertheless essential sights for anyone who is interested in the curious styles of the Mannerist period of the Italian Renaissance. After you've visited the gardens, stop at the nearby bookshop, Il Pegaso. They carry guidebooks in many languages...all except English. But the photos in those books are worn having.

After studying the great gardens of the world from afar, we finally visited Villa Lante, one of Italy's grandest gardens open to the public in person. Visiting in February allowed us unfettered access to inspect, photograph and experience the gardens, fountains, structures and villa. An in-person experience outshines any text or account one may read or view in a book.Bagnaia is a pleasant day trip from Rome, northwest, passing Lago di Bracciano.

We were somewhat disappointed by this attraction. Apart from the maze and fountains at the front of the houses it was rather unkempt. Only the front entrances of the houses were open to the public. Perhaps we were unlucky by going out of season but comparing this with the Palazzo Farnese in Nearby Caprarola which costs the same to enter this was not the same value for money nor nearly as beautiful or interesting.

This garden has been on our `bucket list` for years, so we were delighted to arrive and have it virtually to ourselves. Built directly overlooking the small town below, it is a miracle of calm formality, reflection and innovation. The lower pools and fountain are all in perfect balance with the box parterres that surround them, offering wonderful reflected views. The chain cascade was one of the first ever seen in a garden and is enthralling even today in its beauty and its effectiveness. The stone central banqueting table would have been a wonderful place to entertain, cooled by the waters, beneath the shade of the trees , surveying the town beyond. Grottoes and garden pavilions abound everywhere - a wonderful early example of the garden being used as an extension of the house. One not to be missed if you are into green gardens.

If you are ever close to Terni, Italy be sure to check out Villa Lante. It is a spectacular formal gardens. The complex was started in 1566. There are also spectacular views of the countryside. Worth a side trip.

Loved the different levels. The use of waterfalls was spectacular. To think they had a large dinner in the middle of it all is great.

an easy trip on the city bus from viterbo to the delightful little town of Bagnaia. the villa lante and its grounds are a welcome respite of renaissance gardens and fountains. a must see.

Beautiful Italianate garden and a shady haven in the heat of an Italian summer. The garden is arranged on 3 levels, each level having its own "theme". Climbing from one tier to the next, you can turn and appreciate the view of not just the previos level but that of the tower of the Bogo of Bagnaia. Each level or tier provides its own fountain of interest

If you should happen to be driving through Lazio you should go out of your way to visit this 16th century mannerist delight, all the more so if you love Italian gardens. Water cascades playfully and refreshingly from top to bottom - at one point running down the middle of a large stone picnic table to provide a natural wine cooling system - in a style reminiscent of Villa d'Este, yet different. Not least among the differences are the two pavilions which stand at the head of a large parterre of clipped box and yew with lemon trees popping up between, offering glorious views north towards Umbria. It is easy to pause, indulge in a little time travel, and imagine the grand parties for which this sensual garden was designed five centuries ago. Un goiello!

We drove from a village near to Todi specifically to see the gardens at Villa Lanta and felt the drive was well worth it. New to the formal landscaping of Italian Renaissance gardens this was a wonderful introduction. The terraced water gardens complete with statues, fountains and ingenious water features was fascinating and beautiful. We were transported to another age and heady lifestyle and can only begin to imagine how the gardens must have impressed and entertained guests.The gardens are defined by a combination of breathtaking architecture and pleasant open spaces. But the massive stone dining table was a very impressive and attractive part of the garden.A trough of water runs through the center of the table, meant to chill wine for Cardinal Alessandro Montaltol (who completed the gardens in 1587) and his guests, and it's a feature that seems inspiring and novel even to this day. Century after century, events were set against these lavish gardens and dinner parties enjoyed conversation surrounded by torchlight and water, right there at the stone table. In addition to the formal gardens there is much to admire at Villa Lanta. When we visited it was quiet and we could enjoy the garden and parkland at our leisure.

Superb gardens with amazing fountains,all set in extensive grounds plus a couple of attractive buildings.

The next morning ,after the superb visit to Villa Medici,we drove two hours through the city sprawl,into the tawny fields,rolling hills and ancient towns of Lazio,i prepared myself at the gates of Villa Lante. This was the garden about which Edith Wharton raved in magazines and books We were not disappointed. The moment i stood before the statue of Pegasus shooting water over the heads of a solemn company of muses mounted on towering pedestals, i felt as if i had stepped into the pages of Ariosto. Up a flight of mellow stone steps,past a stand of Italian cypresses glowing in the midday sun,through a gate,and i burst upon the great water parterre. Intricate box-wood compartments framed a square pool set with ascending rings of balustrades. In the center,four naked stone youths held aloft a heraldic device showing stylised mountains capped by a star,all of it glistening with arcs of water. Guarding the scene were twin pavillions,somewhat toy- like, that were built in the 1560s,its terraces rising in tiers behind the houses,softened with Hydranges,Camilias and Plane trees. it casts an exuberant spell. This pleasure ground glorifies pagan sensuality with hydraulic ingenuity. At the end of the topmost terrace,above the river gods furred in moss,beyond the water staircase in the shape of an elongated crayfish,the garden's symmetry disintigrates in the "fountain of the flood", a dripping, ferny grotto that rises into the pinnacle of untamed woods.

It is a perfect afternoon program if you stay in Viterbo. It is approximately 15 minutes by car. Parking is limited in Bagnaia. The name Villa can be misleading, it is rather a garden. A wonderful creation of fountains, grottoes, statues and villa houses, and on the top of the hill a big park with a lots of trees and walkways.It is well worth the approx. 5€ entrance fee.

To get an idea of the Italian garden, with great views at about an hour distance from Rome. Perfect for a half day outing