imitation of the gallery at the Vatican—the Museo Chiaramonti. This is 280 ft. in length, with a breadth of 20 ft.
But the possession of only a million of money gives a moderate income compared with that of the sovereign popes at the time the Vatican was erected. The
Section through gallery and conservatory.
sculpture is arranged on each side of the gallery, the bas-reliefs inserted in the walls, the bronzes on small pedestals, a reclining group is placed in a niche in front of the staircase. A marble group is placed in the fountain in the ante-room to the conservatory, and another in the conservatory itself. A gallery of this description permits the admission of a large quantity of sculpture, allowing it to be seen with advantage. The entrance of the building, partly taken from the front of one of the Italian palaces,[C] permits a large quantity of sculpture to be placed in advantageous positions. The plan, page 340, shows an entrance loggia a, the hall b, 17 ft. by 16 ft., with the waiting-room c, to the right, the breakfast parlour d, and the butler’s pantry g, to the left; f is the library, 28 ft. by 16 ft., entered either from the gallery or the waiting-room. It has a large window looking into the ante-room to the conservatory, and permits a good view of the group of sculpture and the fountain in the centre; e is the gallery, with the principal staircase, i is the dining-room opening into the picture gallery and drawing-room h, k.
The section, page 343, shows the general arrangement, and an idea can be formed of its grand scenic effect in summer, when the doors were opened. The walk round the conservatory and through the whole of the gallery would have a length of 170 ft., and round the galleries 150 ft. more, giving ample space to place a very large collection of sculpture. Underneath the gallery were supposed to be large cellars for wine. These had a private entrance through the pedestal of the Amazonian group, as shown in the plan and section to a larger scale at page 342; the collection below was supposed to be as valuable as the one above, and calculated to yield as much enjoyment, and one certainly that would be more highly appreciated by a greater number of persons. The villa, however, is on a small scale compared with some of the noble residences in the county, and the accommodation throughout very scanty. The servants’ offices are shown annexed to the plan; l is the kitchen, 24 ft. by 22 ft., m the scullery, n the housekeeper’s room, o a small servants’ hall, p is a serving room, and q the external entrance to the cellarage.
By the side of the principal staircase is a descent into the cellars and basement, for the servants, b, plan page 342. The conservatory has a diameter of 40 ft. and a height of 44 ft.; it is of light construction, in decorated ironwork.
The one-pair plan shows the sleeping department, the principal bed-rooms, b b, each with a dressing-room,
