The gardens of Villa Farnese were commissioned by the Farnese family, one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in Rome during the 16th and 17th centuries. This villa, overlooking the town of Caprarola, was built in the Middle Ages as a pentagonal-shaped fortress and was later converted into a palace during the Renaissance.

The main pathway of the villa’s garden leads up to a belvedere that overlooks the estate. Similarly, at the Orto Botanico, the historic landscape was designed around a central axis that culminated at a hilltop casino overlooking Rome. Both gardens also share a number of water features, including a Baroque water stair designed with trapezoidal geometry to emphasize a perspective.

Close-up view of the water chain feature. (UPenn 2002)

View of the water stair leading up to the Belvvedee, Villa Farnese. (UPenn 2002)

Detail of the water stair. (UPenn 2002)

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