Historic Italian villas were complex, self-sufficient farms, with areas dedicated to gardens, crops, livestock, nurseries and experimentation. They produced wine, raised animals and fish, creating an economy and jobs. In addition to the owners’ leisure, they were productive centers that positively influenced the local economy and society for generations.

In 2022, a conference was held on the Role of the Agricultural Landscape as an integral part of the Villa Garden in Italian history: ‘Beauty and Productivity in the Italian Garden and Rural Landscape’ which explored these themes in depth.

To Enthusiasts

Many of the conferences on gardens and landscapes go into a lot of detail, making participation quite demanding.

Green conferences are often organized by professionals for professionals, and this means that the topic of the conference is explored from every point of view.

Not everything that is discussed is of interest to an enthusiast, but some things are.

For this reason, we report and talk about seminars, conferences and books that concern greenery: to report what may be of interest to ‘people who are not experts in the field’.

To Professionals

This book contains essential information for the culture of a Landscaper, a landscape enthusiast.

Although it is a very technical book, it talks about the harmony of spaces, the history of gardens, hydraulic science and crops useful for knowledge to be applied in projects. A landscaper cannot help but have it in their library.

The Villa – Park

We are used to thinking of the garden of a historic villa as a more or less large space designed for the rest and enjoyment of the owners. We wander through flowerbeds, tree-lined avenues admiring more or less flowering backdrops, pergolas, rose gardens and architectures half hidden among the foliage because this is what has remained after hundreds of years from construction.

In the beginning, however, it was not exactly like that. The estates were composed of an area intended for rest, walking and leisure, but there were also areas dedicated to cultivation and areas intended for experimentation.

The organization of spaces

These estates, therefore, were usually organized as follows: an area – close to the building – of representation with formal gardens and places of delight, an area dedicated to hunting, a series of areas intended for cultivation, fields with farmhouses intended for the breeding of cattle, sheep and horses and fish ponds for the breeding of fish.

The great landowners, regents and prominent figures of the past centuries were obviously very wealthy and could invest in the creation of all this, but they were also aware of the maintenance costs. They therefore understood how part of these districts could maintain themselves almost by themselves. So you see that things become more complex.

Crops and livestock farming

Let’s take crops and livestock for example. Within the property areas, there were already existing or were built farmhouses inhabited by those who would take care of the land and livestock. Obviously, part of the harvest was used for the subsistence of the owners and managers of the farmhouses, providing all the food needed for daily life. What was not used inside was sold outside.

The vineyards

Among the crops, vineyards are very important. Much of the experimental work has concerned the cultivation of vines for the purpose of wine production over the centuries. Thanks to documents also recently discovered, it has been possible to trace the composition of wines lost in time and cultivated by these owners. In the Villa della Regina, for example, vines have been replanted that have given birth to the Frejsa di Chieri DOC, and in Friuli Venezia Giulia, over the years, an economic empire has been built based on the relationship between hospitality and wine production that has made this region economically self-sufficient.

The breeding

The spaces intended for breeding were grass fields where animals could roam freely. A type of breeding that today is considered a luxury. In some cases these areas themselves became part of the hunting area, keeping wild animals and farm animals in a single space – usually surrounded by a wall.

Horses are a separate matter. We must consider that at the time, we are talking about the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, horses were the only type of transport that existed and allowed not only the movement of people, but also of mail. The territories were structured with places where there were horses and the ‘postmen’ could stop, eat, sleep and change horses. Therefore, horse breeding was considered very important. The Gonzagas, for example, used the island of Tè for their breeding of prized horses.

The fishponds

The fishponds were water basins with multiple valences. They were a water resource for the property, tanks dedicated to fish farming and also a place of recreation. How were they created? They were built in line with a river, partially diverting its course, so that it would ‘nourish’ the lake.

Many of the villas we are talking about, in fact, were built along a river. In Veneto it was the Sile along which the reclamation of marshy lands was concentrated, in Piedmont the Po or the Stura which hosted the Venaria Reale and the Villa della Regina, in Lazio the Aniene which passes through Tivoli, etc.

The nursery and experimentation

Another of the structures designed to be at the service of the property was the nursery. In the nursery, the varieties of plants present on the property were reproduced so as not to have to buy them, but also to be able to cultivate them in a certain way obtaining a certain quality. Therefore, very trained personnel took care of it.

One aspect to underline is experimentation. Some of these owners, not all, were far-sighted and understood how important experimentation could be in cultivation. Experimentation sometimes concerned cultivation, other times the management of rare and exotic plants imported from countries around the world. Therefore, for these activities there was selected and trained personnel.

The delight

Last but not least, entertainment and delight. In the boredom of court life, it happened that owners, friends and their wives and children enjoyed harvesting crops, catching fish and sweating in the fields like budding farmers. These activities entertained those who did them, taught their children how hard manual work was and also served the production chain to achieve the result as well as – and I say this thinking of today’s gyms – as an excellent method to keep fit.

This also explains those bucolic paintings in which wonderful landscapes full of animals resting or grazing were depicted.

In summary

Now you can have an idea not only of how complex the management of these immense properties was, but also of how many workers worked inside them and with what preparation.

Also important is the work that was created not only inside, but also outside the properties. These large villas, which we can fully define as ‘agricultural companies’, created a flood of work and profit also in the entire city to which they were close, improving the quality of work and life of entire generations of citizens.

Who is Antonella Pietrogrande?

To give you an idea of ​​who Professor Antonella Pietrogrande is, let’s say that she is not ‘only’ the coordinator of the Historical Garden Group-University of Padua, but since 2003 she has been involved in the scientific project and the organization of the annual refresher course on gardens and landscapes.

She is an expert member of the International Scientific Committee on Cultural Landscapes ICOMOS-IFLA, is part of the Board of Directors of the Associazione Parchi e Giardini d’Italia (APGI) and has held teaching positions at Italian and foreign universities as well as having produced almost ninety scientific publications on the history of the garden and the landscape – examining the relationships between garden, theater and literature.

She has participated and participates in numerous national and international conferences on the garden and its history.

Furthermore, as if this were not enough, she has organized several exhibitions and conferences and collaborated with Radio Svizzera Italiana for the broadcast ‘Jardins d’été’ in 2020.

This book therefore adds to the excellences she has produced.

Now on our horses! The work awaits us! Our new beautiful outdoor space is about to be born!

GOOD WORK and…if you have any questions please write to info@mondodelgiardino.com

Image sources: thanks to Olschki for the book cover, the FAI, nordicwalkingtreviso.net, villaparcobolasco.it, matrimonio.com, villadeclaricini.it, siviaggia.it, visititaly.it, marcadoc.com, caserta.italiani.it, getyourguide.it, venetoclub.it and veneziaorientaledistrettoturistico.it.