Villa D'Este

Well it seems a lifetime ago now, but is only just over two weeks ago that I was there. The entrance to the garden was not what I was expecting....it was quite unassuming; a solid wall with a few urns along the top and VILLA D'ESTE carved in the wall. Because the land slopes so steeply beyond the wall you see nothing at all from outside the garden wall, not even the tops of trees.
The garden really is phenomonal.....to build it today would be a feat in itself, so the mind boggles as to how it was achieved. The water features are massive, with huge cascades and jet fountains. It certainly was everything that we learnt a high Renaissance garden in the mannerist style should be. It was elaborate, full of hide and reveal, drama and illusion. Four years ago, I certainly would not have appreciated it the way I do now.