UNDERNEATH THE ARCHES

I have to say, I wish I'd never walked into this courtyard because I cannot figure out what went on here. My first thought was, "stables," because the ruined villa where I found this courtyard would run to that sort of thing. These arches are attached to a n older villa but are far too shallow for anything but half-size horses. Inside the open arch --just to the left of the door from a white car stored there -- is an open fire place half way up the wall. (Also stored there are the ubiquitous plastic buckets found in all sheds and several demijohns for wine.)

If it was once a kind of barbecue area, it's an odd place for it because it is closed in when there are magnificent views to be had elsewhere. It faces more storage buildings and a very large chapel. Even minor villas had their own chapels to spare the owners the horror of sitting in the local church with all of the contadini who probably smelled none too good. The size and quality of the chapels were a matter of prestige (my chapel is bigger than your chapel) and also very likely part payment on a ticket to heaven.

Another mystery is that the arched portion of the structure is very old but hello, the foundation and a strip supporting the roof is made of comparatively new brick, perhaps 100 years old, perhaps less. Update on this mystery. Finally figured it out. The new bricks are only facing old stone. They didn't lift the whole archway construction to stick bricks under it.

Well, it's a beautiful sunny day and I did enjoy snooping around this old villa. I did some quite artistic shots of rusty bars, door handles and rotted wood, but I cannot overcome the instinct to report and illustrate. I do try from time to time, and may get the hang of it one day, but today isn't that day.

This is the second set of gates, pedestrian, to the villa. The first pillars are inset with seashells, mostly fallen out, and the gate, itself is missing. Villa Gate. No. 4 in Gate Series?o