by only the smallest slits for windows. But the gay Italian temperament often comes to the rescue in such isolated spots, expressing itself in the form of brightly painted wall surfaces. One wonders, quite uselessly, if the home-loving enthusiasm of an Italian peasant can be gauged by the intensity of the paint used on his cottage walls; if the man with the bright orange barn is a more amiable character than his neighbor whose barn is a drab grey.
The examples of Italian farmhouses here illustrated were collected on a galloping cruise over the hills of Tuscany and Umbria, and cannot begin to do justice to the subject as a whole. Some of them, however, are typical of hundreds of their neigh
them offers considerable retreat from the sun. Two quite formidable arches form a shelter which protects the main doorway, and above them is a rather crude gallery. There is a battered gateway to which has been joined a keeper’s lodge. This now serves as a tool shed, and a ferocious hound fulfills admirably the role of custodian. The other house is a severe square edifice, surmounted by a superstructure which one pictures as a splendid billiard room. This particular partie is seen everywhere in Tuscany, and becomes a fixed part of the landscape. As one approaches Rome it takes on a faint touch of classicism. The mouldings are more carefully cut and the doorways assume some slight preten
THE CHATEAU FARM NEAR SIENNA bors, and comment on them might be of interest.
The sunny structure near Fucecchio belongs on the border line between the very showy farmhouse and the less ostentatious Tuscan villa. The informality of the planting and the careless air of the hardy cultivators who live within are all that save it from the more pretentious classification. There is a Florentine distinction to the spacing of the windows and to the main doorway, over which reposes a rich coat of arms. The whole building has fallen into a casual and charming state of disrepair. Hinges are rusted; shutters are rotting; plaster is chipping off and the paint had become softly stained and faded. It looks like a very good “buy” for someone bent on acquiring something to restore.
The two farmhouses near Siena contain possible suggestions for small American homes. One of
sion. Happily enough, utilitarian needs still dictate their form and character.
The hills near San Gimignano proved to be a most fertile district for farmhouses. They all look irresistible from a distance, tempting one to hop madly from one hillside to another. At closer range one perceives that the magic effect is usually obtained with a flashing expanse of whitewashed wall surface, surmounted by a warm tile roof and punctuated by a few small black openings, all framed against the faded blue grey of olive trees and the ominous darks of cypresses. The little farm here chosen has a disregard for conventions which is most pleasant. There is a gay little gallery as well as a smattering of carefree detail. A grotesque touch is added by the sculptured haystacks which silhouette the landscape with their overbalanced forms.
The examples of Italian farmhouses here illustrated were collected on a galloping cruise over the hills of Tuscany and Umbria, and cannot begin to do justice to the subject as a whole. Some of them, however, are typical of hundreds of their neigh
them offers considerable retreat from the sun. Two quite formidable arches form a shelter which protects the main doorway, and above them is a rather crude gallery. There is a battered gateway to which has been joined a keeper’s lodge. This now serves as a tool shed, and a ferocious hound fulfills admirably the role of custodian. The other house is a severe square edifice, surmounted by a superstructure which one pictures as a splendid billiard room. This particular partie is seen everywhere in Tuscany, and becomes a fixed part of the landscape. As one approaches Rome it takes on a faint touch of classicism. The mouldings are more carefully cut and the doorways assume some slight preten
THE CHATEAU FARM NEAR SIENNA bors, and comment on them might be of interest.
The sunny structure near Fucecchio belongs on the border line between the very showy farmhouse and the less ostentatious Tuscan villa. The informality of the planting and the careless air of the hardy cultivators who live within are all that save it from the more pretentious classification. There is a Florentine distinction to the spacing of the windows and to the main doorway, over which reposes a rich coat of arms. The whole building has fallen into a casual and charming state of disrepair. Hinges are rusted; shutters are rotting; plaster is chipping off and the paint had become softly stained and faded. It looks like a very good “buy” for someone bent on acquiring something to restore.
The two farmhouses near Siena contain possible suggestions for small American homes. One of
sion. Happily enough, utilitarian needs still dictate their form and character.
The hills near San Gimignano proved to be a most fertile district for farmhouses. They all look irresistible from a distance, tempting one to hop madly from one hillside to another. At closer range one perceives that the magic effect is usually obtained with a flashing expanse of whitewashed wall surface, surmounted by a warm tile roof and punctuated by a few small black openings, all framed against the faded blue grey of olive trees and the ominous darks of cypresses. The little farm here chosen has a disregard for conventions which is most pleasant. There is a gay little gallery as well as a smattering of carefree detail. A grotesque touch is added by the sculptured haystacks which silhouette the landscape with their overbalanced forms.