Italian Villas and Their Gardens

I am a lucky owner of the 1904 original edition. I bought this reissue so that I could enjoy reading the text without worrying about damaging my 1904 edition. Comparing the two, the orignal's Parrish color and black & white illustrations are all there in the reissue. Please note that several were NOT color in the original too. The only difference is that the reissue has the color prints situated in a group in the center of the book, whereas (in the original) they are sprinkled throughout and have tissue paper protection. The color print quality is not as crisp as the original, but it is color. The b & w print quality is just as un-crisp as in the original.

I bought this book looking for Maxfield Parrish illustrations. I kept this book because Edith Warton is an incredibly soothing writer. It should be of note that the text was so wonderfully written that it kept me from returning the book. Imagine, however, what an incredible book this would be if the Parrish illustrations were not in black and white.

I was very excited to find this book and nab a copy of it. (I'm a garden writer and I wanted to get Edith Wharton's perspective on garden history). Italian gardens, as it turns out, are places for walking, thinking, conversing and relaxing. Their most common elements are paths, hedges, arcades, fountains, pools and grottos. They very seldom utilize color (a feature that is often ofterdone in American gardens), instead concentrating on foliage texture, stone and statuary. Usual plantings are trees, shrubs and vines.What is most instructive is the layout of these Italian gardens, including the idea of garden rooms and the use of water features (both of which have become immensely popular here in the US, in the last few years). The architecture of the garden is everything, and is an extension of the house. Order, logic and function are paramount in the Italian garden. Edith Wharton is a brilliant and fascinating guide; literary and historical references abound. A joy to read and to keep for reference.