File:American homes and gardens (1910) (17970829149).jpg

Title: American homes and gardens
Identifier: americanhomesgar71910newy (find matches)
Year: 1905 (1900s)
Authors:
Subjects: Architecture, Domestic; Landscape gardening
Publisher: New York : Munn and Co
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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384 AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS October, 19 lo the original beauty of a Pompelan house with all its paint- ings, sculptures and richness of ornamentation. What particularly attracted Mr. Sbarboro was the peri- style garden. The roof of the ancient colonnade has been restored and flowers and shrubs have been planted in the enclosure in accordance with the arrangement indicated by the appearance of the ground at the time of the excavation. The experiment has proved a great success, for the foun- tains, statuettes, and wealth of greenery are a welcome sight to the weary tourist after wandering through miles of streets and ruined buildings that were blotted out under the fiery wrath of the furnace mountain behind it. The romantic trend of his nature prompted Mr. Sbar- boro to reproduce the Vetti House at Asti. The peristyle an impluvian, a hearth consecrated to the lares, or a tab- linum. She agreed they were all right in Pompeian days, but at Asti, she contended, every room should be simple, useful and should face on the court. Besides Mrs. Sbar- boro insisted on comfortable bedrooms for her family and guests instead of the cubbyholes with which the ancients were content; she wanted a kitchen where her servants could move about with ease in the preparation of the meals; she said she needed plenty of closets, several bathrooms and modern fireplaces to keep the rooms properly heated, since it was announced that the structural material would be reinforced concrete. A compromise was effected by which it was decided to reproduce as faithfully as possible only the peristyle and f f
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The fountain and the pool in the garden garden was just what he had been looking for. It afforded an opportunity for plenty of sunshine and flowers and was a welcome change from the Spanish patios, Persian gardens and Moorish courts that have been so extensively intro- duced in pretentious summer homes in California. Armed with an elaborate set of plans which he obtained from the authorities, Mr. Sbarboro returned to California and spreading them before the curious eyes of his family, he proceeded to describe the different rooms of the famous Vetti House. But before he had gone far, Mr. Sbarboro realized that many changes would have to be introduced before the house could be made a practical summer habita- tion. From the beginning, he found his wife protesting vigorously against a "museum" being erected instead of a summer home. She could see no necessity for an atrium. center garden. All the rooms, however, which were to be large and airy, were to be so grouped ^bout the court that they would present the appearance of a suburban Pom- peian villa. How successful the architect and gardener have been in securing this atmosphere can be attested by the thousands of travelers from every clime who have mar- veled at its beauties and inscribed their name in the vis- itors' book. The pillared entrance to the Villa Pompeii grounds is just opposite the station of Asti, where a number of the residents of the neighborhood and the Colony's employees usually assemble at train time. Nearly all the vineyardists and wine-makers brought their families with them from the Old World and to-day the dark-haired, olive-skinned women and children form a picturesque bit of Old Italy

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