Figure 1.-- This colorized magic latern slide shows a park in Milan, Italy's second lrgest city. It is an indutrial city in the north. We see a pond wih a powerful water feature and children playing at the pond. We suspect that some had sailboats. The photograoh looks to have been tken in the early-1900s.

City families had parks including piazzas to visit and enjoy. Many had waterv features. We have little information on Italian city parks at this time. We have not yet found much information about Italian parks. The piazzas in Italy play the role of urban parks with out many plants, but almost always a fountain. A piazza is an open square (usually not a geometric square) or public place in a city or town. They developed during the middle ages, somewhat similar to a plaza without the trees and gardens, and commonly more rectangular than square. In addition to the functions of a park, piazzas were also community gathering points, markets, and places to celebrate special days. They date back centuries. A few or world famous with fountains that are masterworks by Renasiisance giants. Others re nondiscript neigborhood features. Beginning in the 19th century, Italy began to build urbn parks in the major cities just like other European countries. Here we see a park in Milan (figure 1). This was a little more complicated than in many other countries. Many Italian cities wre millenia old, meaning that the entire city center was completely buit over. There are also beautiful gardens, but most are located in the country side, many are villa gardens.

City Parks

City families had parks including piazzas to visit and enjoy. Many had waterv features. We have little information on Italian city parks at this time. We have not yet found much information about Italian parks. Beginning in the 19th century, Italy began to build urbn parks in the major cities just like other European countries. Here we see a park in Milan (figure 1). This was a little more complicated than in many other countries. Many Italian cities wre millenia old, meaning that the entire city center was completely buit over. There are also beautiful gardens, but most are located in the country side, many are villa gardens. The most notable Italian city parks range from huge expanses such as Villa Borghese in the centre of Rome or Parco Sempione in Milan to the smaller, more intimate parks such as two in Sicily : Villa Giulia in Palermo or Giardino Ibleo in Ragusa.

Piazzas

The piazzas in Italy play the role of urban parks with out many plants, but usully a fountain or aleast some kind of water source. A piazza is an open square (usually not a geometric square) or public place in a city or town. They developed during the middle ages, somewhat similar to a plaza without the trees and gardens, and commonly more rectangular than square. They appear to have begun in the medieval era as some kind of public marketplace in Italian towns. The word has developed as a cognate with the French and English 'place' and Spanish 'plaza'. The original Greek word was 'plateia', meaning 'broad street' which the Romans seemed to have adopted and led to 'piazza' in modern Italian. There are many world famous Italian piazzas, but surely the most famous was created by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in front of St. Peter’s Basilica in of course Rome. It is 650 feet (198 m) wide and surrounded by fourfold Tuscan colonnades. This is a rare important piazza wihout a fountain. The word began to be more widely used in Italy (16th century), denoting any large open space with buildings around it and began to influence other countries. The English began calling long covered walks or galleries with roofs supported by columns piazzas (17th centuries). The Americans began using piazza for for verandas forming by projecting eaves (19th century). Today in America, plaza has a similar meanuing to piaza, a public square in a city or town or an open area usually located near urban buildings and often featuring walkways, trees and shrubs, places to sit, and sometimes shops. Herec we also have a Mexican influence. The modern Itlian piazza include a few celebrated world famous examples with fountains that are masterworks by Renasisance masters. The Trivi Fountaion is the most famous, although not in in a grand piaza, but tucked away lmost in an ally parking lot. Bernini is one of the most renowned Italian masters and he designed five gorgeous fountains in Rome which are in imortant piazzas, the most central being the Piazza Navona. Most Italian piazzas are, however, nondiscript neigborhood features. in addition to the functions of a small park, are also community gathering points, markets, and places to celebrate special days.

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Created: 1:04 AM 2/27/2019
Last updated: 1:04 AM 2/27/2019