The Rose Garden
of the Philosophers

Welcome to the Rose Garden of the Philosophers.

In the center of the garden is a fountain of inspiration.

From the depths below, clear streams emerge to nourish and refresh the landscape.

In the restful shade of this verdant grove, music can be heard. Aphrodite, the Muses and Graces are always near, and their inspiration flows freely.

Stay as long as you desire, but please, as you enter, leave the harsh glare of the afternoon sun behind. This is a place for rejuvenation in the healing waters of the imagination.

Art Exhibit

• The Garden of Love. What it's like in the courtyard (Florentine engraving).
• The Goddess of Beauty. Detail from Botticelli's "Birth of Venus" (68K color JPEG).

The Orphic Imagination

• Orpheus with his Lute. A Renaissance woodcut of Orpheus, the creator of everything (leading to a further explanation of the deeper mysteries).
• Orpheus and Eurydice. A engraving by Marcantonio Raimondi, c.1507-8 (Biblioteca Nazionale, Florence). Contributed by Andrew Green.

Some Orphic Poems

• To Nature
• To Aphrodite
• To Eros
• Phanes the Revealer

Other Exhibits

• Platonic Party Games. Favorite diversions for an afternoon in the garden.
• The Villa Saraceno. A photo essay on a Palladian Villa.

Pathways to Distant Sites

• Gardens of the Renaissance Villas. A short essay on "Gardens, Villas, and Social Life of Renaissance Florence."
• The Dream of Poliphilo.

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