Italian Villas and Their Gardens

Edith Whartons Italian Villas and Their Gardens, a seminal work on garden design, is a testament to the passionate connoisseurship of one of Americas greatest writers. A comprehensive look at the history and character of Italian garden architecture and ornamentation, the book explores more than seventyfive villas, capturing what Wharton calls their gardenmagic and illuminating the intimate relationship between the house, its formal gardens, and the surrounding countryside.This beautiful hardcover facsimile is carefully reproduced from the first edition published in 1904 and features all of the original plates, including twentysix illustrations by Maxfield Parrish, as well as dcollage edges. It is published in association with The Mount Press. A portion of the proceeds of the sale of the book support the restoration of The Mount, the Massachusetts estate designed and built by Wharton based on the principles articulated in this book and in The Decoration of Houses. Elegantly written and informed by Whartons sensitivity and wit, Italian Villas and Their Gardens is a work that belongs on the shelf of every lover of gardens and good taste.