Garden History: Italian Renaissance Gardens
At a Glance
- Live online course
- 10 weeks | October - December
- Tuesdays 18:00 - 20:00
- Fees from £135
- Tutor: Deborah Trentham
Enrolment deadlines
Courses starting in October 2023
- 8 October 2023
Courses starting in January 2024
- 8 January 2024
Garden History Video Trentham
Sample of Debbie Trentham teaching the course "Botanical Gardens"
Early Italian gardens, often belonging to monasteries, were enclosed by walls, and used for growing vegetables, fruits and medicinal herbs. To our eyes, these medieval gardens can look beautiful, but their primary aim was functional. So how did Italian gardens evolve into playgrounds of the mythical gods, with winged horses landing on Mount Parnassus, giants dipping into fishponds and bronze birds fluttering over fountains?
On a fascinating online course, Deborah Trentham of the Garden Historians will lead us on a journey to discover how functional medieval gardens became places of pleasure. We will see how early garden-makers were inspired by classical literature, drawing on the descriptions of ancient Roman gardens in the letters of Pliny the Younger and the poetry of Ovid. Renaissance artists were important too in the development of the garden. The renaissance master Leon Battista Alberti drew on the work of the Roman writer Vitruvius to produce his own guide to garden design as part of his book De re aedificatoria (1552).
As well as being places for pleasure, Italian Renaissance gardens were also full of political symbolism, especially in the Florentine gardens of the Medici, whose patronage had a huge impact on the cultural and artistic history Italy. Their great wealth acquired through banking, dominated the economic, financial and political world of Florence. They used gardens to demonstrate their power but also to enjoy and party in. They built some of the most original gardens of the period with sculptures and grottoes designed by some of the greatest artists of the period.
Gardens and villas to be investigated will include: Villa Medici (Fiesole and Rome), Medici gardens Castello, Pratolino and Boboli Gardens. Sacro Bosco, Villa Lante, Villa Farnese (Caprarola), the Cortile del Belvedere.
Whether you enjoy gardening or visiting gardens, or are just fascinated by history, art history or the renaissance world, join us on this extraordinary exploration into the birth of the modern garden five centuries ago!
Sessions will be informal and will involve no coursework. No previous knowledge of garden history is required.
Class Recordings
Where feasible, for this course sessions will be recorded for subsequent viewing
Attendance Certificate
Successful completion of this course leads to the award of an Imperial College attendance certificate
Terms and conditions apply to all enrolments to this course. Please read them before enrolment
Course Information
Course Programme and Additional Reading
Provisional Course Programme (subject to modification)
- Session 1. Introduction
- Session 2. Florence and the Medici Gardens
- Session 3. Rome and the collector Popes
- Session 4. Veneto and Palladio
- Session 5. Water and Fountains
- Session 6. Sculpture
- Session 7. Ovid and poetry
- Session 8. Nymphaeums and Grottoes
- Session 9. Planting and Botanic collections
- Session 10. Myths and Giants
There is no compulsory reading required for this course, and there is no set course text.
Your Tutor
The Garden Historians were established in 2013 to address the lack of teaching in garden history and to promote the study of the subject more broadly. Enjoying immediate success at Burgh House, the Garden Historians increased their courses to two sessions per week. During the summer term they teach class-based sessions and run site visits. Burgh House has also provided a venue for a varied range of introductory sessions for new students. It is also planned to offer a further range of lectures and study days in the future. Courses will continue to evolve in theme and content allowing students from previous years to continue their study, whilst encouraging new students to join.
Your tutor, Deborah Trentham, was trained in the history of art, architecture and garden history. She has been teaching garden history for fifteen years including at Birkbeck (University of London) and Capel Manor College where she also taught the history of architecture. She currently teaches garden design students for KLC School of Design at Chelsea Harbour and Hampton Court Palace. Deborah is in her fourth year as the Historic Gardens judge for the Society of Garden Designers Awards. She recently lectured for Art Pursuits Abroad on 'The 18th Century English Landscape Garden'.
Deborah has also published articles in magazines and periodicals such as:
- Art Quarterly A Brief History of the Winter Garden
- Homes & Gardens The Walled Garden at Brent Eleigh
- Homes & Gardens The Swiss Garden
- BBC Radio 4's Making History
- Channel 5 Inside Kensington Palace TX 16th April 2018
Course Fees and Rate Categories
| Weeks | Standard Rate | Internal Rate | Associate Rate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Early Bird: £226 Full price: £252 |
Early Bird: £135 Full price: £150 |
Early Bird: £178 Full price: £198 |
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| All fee rates quoted are for the whole course. Early Bird rates available 1 August to 30 September only. Part-payments are not possible. | |||||
Rate Categories and Discounts
Standard Rate
- Available to all except those who fall under the Internal Rate or Associate Rate category.
Internal Rate
- Current Imperial College students and staff (incl. Imperial NHS Trust, Imperial Innovations, ancillary & service staff employed on long-term contracts at Imperial College by third-party contractors)
- People enrolling under our Friends & Family scheme
- Alumni of Imperial College and predecessor colleges and institutes, including City & Guilds College Association members
- Students, staff and alumni of the Royal College of Art, Royal College of Music and City, UAL and the City and Guilds of London Art School
- Students, staff and Governors of Woodhouse College and the IC Mathematics School
Associate Rate
- Austrian Cultural Forum staff
- Co-operative College members
- Francis Crick Institute staff, researchers and students
- Friends and Patrons of the English Chamber Orchestra
- Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens
- Friends of Leighton House/ Sambourne House
- Friends of the Royal College of Music
- Harrods staff
- Historic Royal Palaces staff
- Lycee Charles de Gaulle staff
- Members of the Friends of Imperial College
- Members of the Kennel Club
- Members of the London Zoological Society
- Members of the South London Botanical Institute (SLBI)
- Members of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
- National Health Service (NHS) employees
- Natural History Museum staff
- Residents of postcodes SW3, SW5, SW7, SW10 and W8
- Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council staff
- Royal Geographical Society staff
- Science Museum staff
- Staff of Exhibition Road Cultural Group (Discover South Kensington) organisations
- Students (non-Imperial College)
- Teachers and other staff of UK schools
- Tutors and other staff of institution members of the Association of Colleges
- Tutors and other staff of other universities and higher education institutions
- Victoria and Albert Museum staff
Late enrolment
It is possible to enrol on many of our adult education courses after the course has already started. For non-language courses this is subject entirely to agreement by the tutor. For language courses it is subject to agreement by the language coordinator conducting level assessment. If you want to join a course late do bear in mind there might be work you will need to catch up on, particularly in language courses.
Friends and Family Scheme
This course is eligible for allowing Imperial College students and staff to share their discount with their friends and family.
Term Dates 2023-24
| Weeks | Autumn term | Spring term | Summer term | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Week commencing 9 October to week ending 16 December 2023* | n/a | n/a | ||
| *This is a 1-term course | |||||
Enrolment Process
Web enrolment starts 1 August 2023. Early bird discounts are available from 1 August to 30 September 2023
Enrolment and payment run through the Imperial College eStore. When enrolling:
- Do check on the drop down menu above called "Course Fees and Rate Categories" to see if you are eligible for a discounted rate and also do make sure you select that rate when enrolling on the eStore
- If you are a first-time eStore user you will need to create an account before enrolling. You can do this by entering an email address and password. This account can then be used for any future enrolments via the eStore.
When you have enrolled you will be sent the following email notifications:
| What is sent | When is it sent | What does it contain | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Payment confirmation | Is sent straight away following submission of your online application |
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| 2. Enrolment confirmation | Is usually sent within 10 working days. Please treat your payment confirmation as confirmation that your applicant details and payment have been received |
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| 3. Programme information | Is usually sent on Friday late afternoon the week before term starts |
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Any Questions?
If you have any questions about the academic content or teaching of this course please contact the Course Tutor, Deborah Trentham, debs@thegardenhistorians.co.uk
If you have any questions about your enrolment or payment processes please contact the Programme Administrator, Christian Jacobi, eveningclass@imperial.ac.uk