Axial Views in Italian Gardens

In the Giardino di Boboli, Florence

In the Giardino di Boboli, Florence

In the Villa Borghese, Rome

In the Villa Reale, Lucca

One common thread in European garden design is the framed axial view. Some of these are main circulation paths and others are secondary. These are views framed by vegetation with a central focus point, generally a water feature, but sometimes a sculpture. This concept began in Italian gardens and was emulated in those of the French and English. Here I tried to capture some of the more successful ones within the gardens we have visited so far.

Elizabeth Conte