Q: Explain with examples the ways in which the Renaissance spirit of a rediscovery of the classics and the new Humanist ways of thinking were expressed in the design and content of the Italian Renaissance garden.

The renaissance spirit of rediscovery and innovation is seen in every aspect of Renaissance life and influence, most definitely including gardens. The spirit brought forward in the Renaissance of the re-evaluation of man's relationship with God, as well as the rediscovery of classical texts and philosophers, led to the new wave of art, design, and intellectual life. The evolving idea of Humanism saw the man as rational and able to decide and think for himself. 

One of the main effects of this new wave of knowledge was art, with the idea of linear perspective and realism. Below a painting from the Renaissance can be seen using linear perspective and realism. When looking at this picture is feels as if you are there watching the events.

(https://bscheff22.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/school-of-athens.jpg)

Linear Perspective and realism from the paintings reflected on the creation of the Renaissance garden.  Renaissance gardens often had axial alignment and symmetry which can be seen in the garden below.

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/Villandry_Jardins_style_Renaissance.jpg)

The axial alignment of the garden can be seen down the middle of the pictures with symmetry on both sides. 

Next, architecture also had a huge influence on the creation of the Renaissance garden. The villas often had classical Green and Roman features-- arches, fountains, pillars, and gardens-- but most were shed in a new light to explore the relationship between man, God, and nature. The Renaissance manw as inspired by the descriptions of ancient Roman gardens given by Ovid in his Metamorphoses, by the letters of Pliny the Younger, by Pliny the Elder's Naturalis Historia, which gave detailed descriptions of the gardens of the Roman villa. Prior to the Renaissance, Medieaval gardens were enclosed and usually used for growing food or medicinal herbs --in the case of a monastic garden. The Renaissance garden broke down the wall between the garden and the outside world. 


Lastly, science also had an impact on the creation of the Renaissance garden, in particular the study of botany through the classification of plants. The first botanical gardens were created in the Renaissance. In 1545, a student from the medical school of the University of Padua, wrote a book describing medicinal uses of 12,000 different plants, which was aided by sailors returning from the New World who brought back samples of unknown plants. In 1543, the first botanical garden was created, and by 1591, it had more than 1,168 different plants and trees. Soon after, many followed the trend of the botanical garden. The humanistic view of relying on critical thinking over faith allowed for this scientific discovery of the botanical garden. 

(http://www.everettpotter.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Renaissance-Garden.jpg)

Useful Links:
http://historyguide.org/intellect/humanism.html

http://www.poderesantapia.com/gardens/italianrenaissancegarden.htm

http://www.hamiltongardens.co.nz/collections/paradise-collection/italian-renaissance-garden

Q: In the three cultures we have so far studied - Roman, Mediæval and Muslim, how did /does the garden play a role in their respective religions?

In the Roman, Medieval, and Islamic culture, religion played a main role in the design and function of the garden. In the three cultures the garden facilitated mans connection with the God/Gods. 

In the Roman culture, religion permitted all aspects of their life and the garden was no exception. The religion in Ancient Rome was centered around Gods and explanations for events usually involved one of the Gods. The Romans believed that the Gods controlled their lives, so consequently, they spent much of their time worshipping them. Since gardens were so intrinsic in the Roman household, with almost every house having some sort of garden, it would make sense for religion to be expressed in the garden. Religion in the roman garden was expressed in three different ways: statuary (which can be seen below), aediculas, and herms. 

(https://forum.disabroad.org/bbcswebdav/pid-197065-dt-content-rid-600207_1/courses/garden_1502213/03%20SP%2015%20The%20Roman%20Garden.pdf)

The garden was seen as a paradise: somewhere to escape to. The religious statues in the garden could serve a couple of purposes. First, statues of Gods like Liber, the God of fertility and vine growing, would be thought to bring life to the flowers. The statues could also serve as a figure to pray to.

Religion in the medieval period was just as prevalent, argumentatively more so, as in the Roman gardens. Religious aspects in the medieval garden can be seen below.

(http://www.motherearthliving.com/~/media/Images/MEL/Editorial/Blogs/In%20the%20Garden/Herbal%20Travels%20The%20Cloisters/DSCN8144)

Above a cloister is shown which means there are four pathways, symbolising the four rivers of Eden, that meet at a center water feature. The medieval garden, similar to the Roman garden, would be used as an escape or paradise. Prayer in the garden would be common since it gave an escape from the main house. In a medieval monastery, the garden would have a functional purpose, but usually have a statue of Mary present. The garden was a way to express religion outdoors. 

Similar to the Romans and in the Medieval period, the daily life of a typical Muslim revolved around religion. However, the main difference between the Muslim religion was they believed in the after life. The garden was particularly important in this idea of afterlife because the Muslim garden represented the afterlife a devoted Muslim hoped to enter. For this reason, Muslim gardens were a peaceful escape 

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aLAmgz7XeP8/U2pWRbzSj0I/AAAAAAAAAMY/ejTOypMCLz8/s1600/100905_603.jpg)

Like Roman and medieval gardens, Islamic gardens also often had 4 gardens or flowerbeds , called Chahar Bagh, with a central water source that fed into 4 rills. These rills  also symbolised the 4 rivers of life.



Useful Links:
http://catnaps.org/islamic/islagard.html
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/ancient_rome_and_religion.htm
http://www.tcnj.edu/~anchouse/garden.html
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/article-1356400618277/

Q: Why do you think gardens have always been an intrinsic part of European culture?

The word garden means many things to different people. Some see a garden as strictly functional-- for agricultural reasons, and others could see a garden as a decorative haven, or escape from reality. Whether the garden is functional or decorative, or a mix of the two, it always has a beneficial purpose for the individuals able to enjoy its features. By the vast number of gardens present in ancient Europe and Europe today, it can be said that they play a very essential role in European culture.

Different purposes of a garden in Europe can be seen throughout history. For example, gardens were a place to express religion. In order to express their religious beliefs in gardens, Europeans would build statues of religious figures. The religious portrayal in European gardens can be seen below with the river that flows out of Eden that divides and becomes four branches.

(https://forum.disabroad.org/bbcswebdav/pid-197966-dt-content-rid-602993_1/courses/garden_1502213/05%20SP%2015%20The%20Mediæval%20Garden.pdf)

Since religion has always been a strong influence in many lives, even today, it makes sense that the garden will express religious beliefs. The garden also served as a haven of escape from the noise of the main house. Since religious prayer is usually done in silence, it makes sense for the quiet getaway to also be a place of prayer.

In ancient Europe, in particular Rome, gardens were a tool used by the wealthy to flaunt their power and money. The picture below is a reconstruction of the garden of the House of Vettii in Pompeii.

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/Ricostruzione_del_giardino_della_casa_dei_vetii_di_pompei_(mostra_al_giardino_di_boboli,_2007)_01.JPG)

Water features were essential to the gardens of the high class individuals because the water features were expensive and showed wealth. The garden in the picture above can also be described as a peristyle. The origin of the peristyle garden was in the Hellenistic period, which began as a courtyard in the center of Greek houses (http://www.ancienthistoryarchaeology.com/ancient-roman-gardens). . This could have possibly have arisen to protect the garden from outsiders including outsiders and animals. Especially in the Mideaval times, where there wasn’t always peace, with a peristyle garden, it will be protected from intruders.

There are many parallels that can be found between the ancient garden and a garden in present day Rome. Below is the park Villa Torlonia located in Rome. This was built in the 19th century.

                                                 (http://www.tourism-rome.com/IMG/arton26.jpg)

The function of this garden is very similar to one built in ancient times. Gardens are still used as an escape from the noisy outside, and they are also used for leisurely activities by the public. In more modern times, it seems like the garden has shifted from a private space near a house, to a public place to socialize. Private gardens today still exist, but the larger gardens are able to serve the society as a whole. For example, a park in a big city creates a getaway for the busy city resident to relax and enjoy greenery with the rest of people in the city.

Both of the gardens above are more decorative gardens for relaxation purposes. There were functional gardens in both ancient European history and Europe today; however, the way they were/are essential to the culture is self-explanatory. The functional gardens were/are mostly for growing food, an essential part of life, so it makes sense to why the functional gardens were so apparent, especially in ancient Europe. Below is a picture of a garden used to grow food.

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ab/Ricostruzione_del_giardino_della_casa_dei_pittori_al_lavoro_di_pompei_(mostra_al_giardino_di_boboli,_2007)_01.JPG)

This is a reconstruction of the garden of Casa Del Pittori in Pompeii. The fences were used to keep animals away from the food. These gardens were very essential to the culture of the house because most, if not all, of the food for the house was grown here. Without gardens, the culture of Europe would not have developed into the culture it is today.

For Further Information: http://scholarworks.umass.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1003&context=larp_faculty_pubs