The Anglo-American Gardens of Tuscany
As we look forward to the coming summer, what could be better than joining us for a journey into the beauty and history of some of the stunning gardens of Tuscany.
On a fascinating online course, we will look at the writers, artists, art historians, garden designers and garden owners based in and around Florence at the turn of the twentieth century to ask why was this largely expatriate community in Tuscany, and why were the gardens the created and encountered so important to them?
We will discover the Renaissance gardens and villas they brought back to life and the gardens of their own design. In particular we will look at the work of the architect and garden designer, Cecil Pinsent; the art historian and connoisseur Bernard Berenson; and the writer Iris Origo, from her childhood at Villa Medici in Fiesole to the creation of her own garden La Foce. Some of the astonishingly beautiful gardens we will look at include I Tatti, La Pietra, Le Balze and La Gamberaia.
Whether you enjoy gardening or visiting gardens, or are just fascinated by history, art history or the renaissance world, join us on this extraordinary exploration into the birth of the modern garden five centuries ago, and into how these historic gems were rediscovered by British and American enthusiasts in the early twentieth century.
Sessions will be informal and will involve no coursework. No previous knowledge of garden history is required.
Course Programme
.Introduction – who, where and why
The Actons – La Pietra
Bernard Berenson
Cecil Pinsent
Villa Gamberaia and Villa Palmieri
Writers in Florence
Sybil Cutting and Villa Medici
Iris Origo and La Foce
Janet Ross at Villa di Poggio Gherardo The Sitwells at Montegufoni
The Sitwells at Montegufoni
There is no compulsory reading required for this course, and there is no set course text, however, each week we will recommend books you might want to look at.
There is no compulsory reading required for this course, and there is no set course text.
As we look forward to the coming summer, what could be better than joining us for a journey into the beauty and history of some of the stunning gardens of Tuscany.
On a fascinating online course, we will look at the writers, artists, art historians, garden designers and garden owners based in and around Florence at the turn of the twentieth century to ask why was this largely expatriate community in Tuscany, and why were the gardens the created and encountered so important to them?
We will discover the Renaissance gardens and villas they brought back to life and the gardens of their own design. In particular we will look at the work of the architect and garden designer, Cecil Pinsent; the art historian and connoisseur Bernard Berenson; and the writer Iris Origo, from her childhood at Villa Medici in Fiesole to the creation of her own garden La Foce. Some of the astonishingly beautiful gardens we will look at include I Tatti, La Pietra, Le Balze and La Gamberaia.
Whether you enjoy gardening or visiting gardens, or are just fascinated by history, art history or the renaissance world, join us on this extraordinary exploration into the birth of the modern garden five centuries ago, and into how these historic gems were rediscovered by British and American enthusiasts in the early twentieth century.
Sessions will be informal and will involve no coursework. No previous knowledge of garden history is required.
Course Programme
.Introduction – who, where and why
The Actons – La Pietra
Bernard Berenson
Cecil Pinsent
Villa Gamberaia and Villa Palmieri
Writers in Florence
Sybil Cutting and Villa Medici
Iris Origo and La Foce
Janet Ross at Villa di Poggio Gherardo The Sitwells at Montegufoni
The Sitwells at Montegufoni
There is no compulsory reading required for this course, and there is no set course text, however, each week we will recommend books you might want to look at.
There is no compulsory reading required for this course, and there is no set course text.