Passages in the Garden: An Iconology ot the Brion Tomb

Abstract

Considerable study has been devoted to Carlo Scarpa's design for the Brion family cemetery in San Vito d'Altivole, Italy, because of its poetic imagery and the beauty of its ornamentation, detailing, and construction. The cemetery has not, however, been investigated fully as an example of the philosopher's or poet's garden where a narrative and its associated iconography structure the experience of the work. This paper examines the Brion tomb as a work of garden architecture in the tradition of the Italian Renaissance garden and the Chinese-Japanese stroll garden where a distinct narrative, in this case the passage from life to death, organizes the entire design. This narrative and its manifestation in the design are discussed, as well as Scarpa's use of precedent and symbolism.