Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
fidence and power of the Borromean family who had furnished Milan with two cardinals,
one of whom was canonised by Pope Paul V in 1610.
SECRET GARDENS
Secret gardens abounded during the Renaissance, providing the celebrities of the day with one of their only truly
private spaces. Aside from privacy, the secret garden was also a place for prized plants and exotic specimens, act-
ing as an extension of the indoor cabinet of curiosities.
Isabella d'Este's apartments in the Corte Vecchia at the Palazzo Ducale in Mantua house the perfect example of
this private space. Designed in 1522 by Mantuan architect Gian Battista Covo, the garden is completely surroun-
ded by walls and can only be seen from Isabella's private rooms.
Classical features abound: lonic columns line the walls and were originally interspersed with classical statuary
lodged in the niches in the walls, while around the top runs an inscription singing Isabella's praises and reminding
visitors that she is a daughter of the King of Naples and the powerful Este house, as well as a wife and mother of
the Gonzaga dynasty. The garden adjoins Isabella's
studiolo
(study), where the walls are lined with inlaid cabinets
stamped with Isabella's monogram. These cabinets housed her most precious jewels and treasures in countless
tiny drawers. Likewise the design of the flowerbeds mirrors the compartmentalisation of the
studiolo
, divided into
small sections sometimes called
cassette
s or boxes.
Giovanni Battista Ferrari's
Flora overo cultura dei fiori
(1638) was the most influential florilegium of the 17th cen-
tury. It was the first book ever written about plants cultivated for purely ornamental purposes and it
tackles every detail, from the choice of garden guard dog to the modification of flower colour, scent and
form.
