Italian gardens hardscape
- Subject: Italian gardens hardscape
- From: V* A*
- Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2001 16:37:12 +0200
Hi Nan,
It is always quite difficult to give general infos about gardens - are we
talking about small, private contemporary gardens or ancient huge historical
ones? In the country or in the cities? If we limit ourselves to the small
ones, on very general terms I would say boundary walls and/or fences (iron
ones, no picket fences here) are a must, even though for cost reasons today
very often you see chicken wire. Older gardens often feature a thick
covering of broken pieces of glass cemented on top of the walls. Gates are
another important feature, huge, massive, elaborated wrought iron ones for
older houses, more linear, but still massive and with automatic opening
devices in the new ones. If affordable, there are also big pillars with
urns (planted with Agaves is the rule in the center and South) or
gypsum/cement replica statuary. Italians give a lot of importance to
entrances, drives and paths, and as a rule we try to separate sharply the
cultivated and uncultivated parts. Edges in cement, terracotta, bricks,
rusticated tufa are commonplace. When the budget allows it, the drive and
paths are lavishly paved with basalt, travertine, tufa, lava and any other
local stone (sometimes the results are really good). Cobbles embedded in
cement are also used, sometimes creating nice patterns and ornamental
motifs. Gravel is also very common, and cheaper. Traditional gardens
normally had very little turf, if any: graveled paths and flowerbeds would
be the common layout. Fountains, even small ones, were common in the past
but today they aren't any more; people tend to link them with the idea
either of public places (cities normally have many) or of huge properties
belonging to the rich and famous. Probably this will change as the passion
for gardens spreads.
Private gardens always have an area for dining al fresco, whether attached
to the house (a roofed terrace, a porch) or a gazebo with vines. In recent
times, brand names like Unopił literally submerged the whole of Italy with
their production (wrought iron or wooden pergolas, furniture etc.), and many
minor companies now offer cheaper imitation of this famous line (see
www.unopiu.it).
Gardens in the South often feature glazed tiles (majolica) decoration on
porches and masonry benches, after the style of the famous cloister of Santa
Chiara Monastery, in Naples (nice photo at
http://www.dentronapoli.it/Chiese/santa_chiara.htm). A model garden inspired
on this tradition was presented at Chelsea this year by Grandi Giardini
Italiani, the network between private historical gardens, that both
Landriana and La Mortella belong to (the two gardens I take care of besides
the Academy).
They are not hardscape, but pots should be mentioned because they play such
an important part in an Italian garden. Besides the beautiful Tuscan
terracotta (Impruneta is the place they come from, but also Siena), there
are many other places where beautiful pots are made: Faenza, Vietri,
Grottaglie, just to mention a few, and they all make lovely majolica or
terracotta pots that decorate entrances, porches, terraces etc.
Light fixtures for gardens in Italy can be generally divided in two groups:
traditional lampions (like the ones you see in the cities) or awful modern
UFO style objects. I can't understand why the world famous Italian designers
don't ever think about this. We could do with highly expensive, hardly
practical, not illuminating, but beautiful lights. Probably they (the
designers) all live in aseptic apartments downtown.
I think this is all for now. If there is something specially meaningful that
I forgot (Helene?)I will write again.
All the best,
Alessandra
Alessandra Vinciguerra
Superintendent of the Gardens
American Academy in Rome
Via Masina,5
00183 Roma Italy
Tel. 39-6-5846444
