A Villa Fit For Popes: Villa Lante, Bagnaia

We spent an hour or so in Bagnaia today, visiting its main attraction, Villa Lante, a fantastic property originally built in the 1500s, consisting of formal gardens complemented by fountains and other waterworks that were probably engineering marvels of their time.

The fact that it was passed by inheritance from one church official to another, and only in recent years was taken over by the Italian government, doesn't diminish from its aesthetic glory. It's a study in symmetry.

We do think some serious money will have to be spent at some point when the Italian taxpayers have some spare change to properly preserve the property. A lot of the stones are covered in moss and frescoes in a couple of places have deteriorated badly, but the hydraulic engineer who was brought in to establish the water supply for the fountains would still be rightfully proud of his achievement.









This was an outdoor dining table...