"It was built as a refuge from the
overwhelming grandeur of the Palace and
is used today [the 1960s] as a summer
residence by the presidents of Italy. Its
gardens, with fountains and parterres
bordered by clipped box, and small, stone
benches, are harmonious with the scale
of the Casino. They are enclosed by a low
wall surmounted by huge sylvan figures
half emerging from stone sheathes.
These fantastic divinities give an aura of
poetry to the place with its view of the
Etrurian plain and Soracte, a mountain
which looks like a wave, encircled by the
snow-touched Apennines."
Then, they entered the woods beyond,
reaching a sequestered small garden with
a fountain in the middle. Julia recalls:
"Beyond the Casino we followed a
path into the woods. It seemed to lead
nowhere, but [Guiseppe] insisted that
we follow it. Finally, in the depths of the
woods, we came to the "secret" garden,
where a single fountain spouted a single
plume of water. Like most Italian gardens,
this garden is usually green but it has a
few borders of tulips in the spring. This
hidden delight is one of the most perfect
secret gardens in Italy."
I spent two hours in the woods beyond
HYLAND
"The
Queen
of
Purple
is with
your
mother!"
