One of the finest examples of an Italian Renaissance villa garden lies behind the Verona villa of Venetian diplomat Agostino Giusti. He commissioned the garden in 1570, and it is unusual in several ways.
First, it is relatively small, and second, instead of leading upwards as a setting for the villa, it rises steeply above the villa, to reveal one of the finest views across the city over the villa's rooftop.
It is beautifully designed for an in-town residence, its formal parterres, hedge maze, and winding walks designed for strolling and as a shaded respite from Verona's summer heat. Its wilder section is reached by narrow paths enclosed by shrubbery and trees as they climb steeply to a grotto and terrace.