Gardens as Windows to History

Gloriana Pionati believes gardens represent life and its cycles. She points to the asphyxiated city of Pompeii to prove her point.

Pionati, an archeologist, author and importer, will be presenting a slide show and lecture today at the Huntington Library on gardens in Pompeii, a city that was buried alive in 79 A.D. when Mt. Vesuvius erupted.

Although plants didn’t survive when Pompeii was sealed under volcanic ash, archeologists were able to determine what plants were grown, from the plaster molds they left in the ash.

And archeologists know what ancient Roman gardens looked like from studying wall paintings, garden ornaments that survived the volcanic eruption, and the remains of aqueducts, which gave gardeners the freedom and water to plant where they wanted.

Mythology was important in the Roman gardens, Pionati said. Pompeii exported wine throughout the ancient world, so the gardens there were often decorated with images of Bacchus, the god of wine, and his symbol--grapes.

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Most interesting to her is “how everything we found 2,000 years ago, we still see today,” Pionati said. She was referring to water fixtures, such as fountains, and to alcoves, which have been around for many years.

Pionati’s lecture starts at 2:30 p.m. in the Friend’s Hall at the Library, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. A plant show will follow the talk. Admission is free, but a gate donation of $5 for adults, and $3 for children and students is suggested.

Information: (818) 405-2141.