Villa

In the 15^th century modern meaning of “villa” originated, which generically indicates a large and elegant housing typology, surrounded by a pretty much extensive garden or park. “villa” prototype dates back to Roman times, indicating an agricultural organization center as well as a place for recreation. 
Its rural character was lost in the Middle Ages in which fortifications prevailed, due to the urgent defensive needs of those times. During this century castles and various fortified residences began to lose their pure and simple defense connotations, to change into more airy structures of hunting lodges, for example.   

A feature of the villas’ architecture is the reuse of pre-existing buildings. Problems of spaces transformation are sometimes fixed by a total masking, which does not imply complete destruction however (rare for economic reasons and historical fidelity either). Natural heirs of the hunting lodges are small “villas of delight” of the 16^th century, which combine recovery of the historic portions with new spaces, such as large rooms and numerous loggias.   

The 17^th century villa develops architectural values bearing an acute taste for the monumental. Building becomes impressive and rich decorations usually enhance family’s businesses and virtues. To lighten the villas splendor, were created charming Italian gardens, whose fashion continued until the mid-eighteenth century.   Unfortunately, this trend will be replaced (causing serious losses) by preferring the romantic English garden.
It is not just a mere difference in styles: the rational garden, symbol of man’s dominion over the cosmos, is replaced by a park as a contemplation of “wild” nature, a sort of return to the state of nature theorized by Rousseau.