Sunday, January 24, 2010

Enchanting Ninfa .. the Saga Continues



Ninfa - In a few words, an enchanted landscape.
A place where gardens rise up on the site of a once-prominent 8th-century town. Documentation traces Ninfa to the 1st century, when Pliny wrote of a temple constructed in homage to mythical nymphs: Nymphs known to dwell in Ninfa's pristine lake, the cold waters flowing from an alpine mountain source.
In 1297 Pope Bonifaciio VIII gifted Ninfa to a relative, Pietro Caetani. Yet, by the late 1300s,
warring factions overran the thriving Medieval town, leaving it in ruins.
Look to The English Garden Abroad, should you wish to learn more about the making of Ninfa's gardens.
In the well-researched book, Charles Quest-Ritson follows the shaping of the present-day gardens by the creators: Three generations of the Caetani family responsible for the landscape one sees today. In particular, three ladies of English and American ancestry - laudable, artistic figures who contributed to the gardenscape. A breathtaking naturalism envelops the visitor to Ninfa. At every turn, the eye rests upon lush greenery,
or plentiful vistas of fresh water.
The wistful romanticism of ancient stone walls is not easily captured in words;
the stone surfaces a honey-hued canvas for fading frescoes.

Part 3 to follow ....

14 comments:

  1. Hard to say anything at all after seeing those photos!

    Speech is silver, silence is golden!

    Thanks

    Robert

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  2. Stunning. yes, hard to put into words.

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  3. Once again Alice you have captivated us with an enchanting place. Love the ancient ruins.

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  4. Hi Alice~~ This just proves there is no substitute for time, is there? The encrusted stones, the mossy greens, just beautiful. Did I see a nymph float by in that first photo?

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  5. It's amazing that today's gardeners work so beautifully with ancient architecture. Together, the scene is stunning!

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  6. Dear Alice, This now has to be added to my list of gardens to visit. I shall look forward to the next instalment with interest.

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  7. The kind of place where your imagination can really get out and run around! So enchanting.

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  8. Hi Alice,
    Thanks for showing us a glimpse of my number 1, must-see garden. I'll get there someday!
    Cindee

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  9. Thanks for sharing these; I really like seeing beautiful pictures and they give me ideas on where to travel to next.

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  10. Love the stone walls, enchanting indeed. Thank you for the inspiration and beautiful garden tour.

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  11. I love this approach to garden blogging. I can't wait to spend more time browsing for inspiration!

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  12. It really is quite stunning. There is something quite magical about Italian gardens - I've only visited the Villa d'Este. Ought to do others, perhaps one day!

    Thanks for your comments about my latest post, which are always appreciated.

    Johnson

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  13. Pleased to share one of my most magical journeys with readers.

    Stay tuned for the next installment, my friends!

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  14. Enchanting ... to journey back this far! Ruins within gardens or gardens around ruins... there is such a sense of timelessness. Truly astounding! Thank you Alice!! ;>)

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