I have to apologize; I just couldn't do the whole museum in one post! I decided to separate it and today I will show you the beautiful grounds. I hope you don't think I am posting too many photos but it's so hard to choose. I told you yesterday that we took 500 photos, but I was wrong. It was really only 411, ha ha! I love living in this digital age and you can guess how much I love my digital camera.
When they renovated the Villa, they also added some buildings. They did not try to blend them into the Roman architecture; instead they did an ingenius juxtaposition of ancient and modern. I'm not positive, but I believe they used the same architect as the Getty Complex. He certainly has my undying gratitude for creating such beauty. The new entryway, ampitheatre, gift shop and restaurant are magnificent in my eyes. We ate at the cafe and the food was delicious. I had pasta and wine and we shared a fabulous desert.
Here are some photos of the side gardens. They contain herbs, grapes, and some lovely fountains.
Here is the main garden, from the front and also from the second floor looking the other direction at the ocean. It's hard to see the ocean because it blends into the beautiful blue sky.
Here's a close-up of the cutest statue. I love this little guy as he peeks through the flowers, enjoying their fragrance! You can enjoy this garden from the shade of one of the beautiful covered halls.
The next two show the interior garden. I'm sorry, but I can't remember if they call it an atrium or a peristyle. (So much for the Ancient Humanities course I took in college!) Each lovely lady beside the fountain is different from her sister.
This small side garden has such pretty fountains! You may know of know my fascination for gargoyles and I also love the mosaic tiles. We would have stayed out here longer, but it was very hot by the time we got out to this side.
I hope you enjoyed the Villa Gardens! Next we will see some of the beautiful treasures inside!
3 comments:
What a wonderful place to vist Lianna!
I grew up in California and never went to see this...I missed out! It is very impressive.
So gorgeous - it's one of my fave places in So Cal, but I haven't been there since they remodelled. Maybe we should have a girls day out and make it a day trip together? Art, lunch, gardens ...
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