House No. 62: Villa

 

House No. 62: Villa
ink, colored pencil, and watercolor on paper, digital layout

8.5 in. x 11 in.
062/365; 03/03/11

The word villa comes from Italian by way of Latin: Roman villas were the country houses of the upper class, and the Tuscan countryside of Italy are still dotted with generations of these estates that make up the quintessential picture of the villa.

I always think of villas being flanked by rows of tall, pencil-thin cypress trees and overlooking rolling hills of vineyards. Sigh. I could use a stay at a villa right about now.

House No. 58: Trulli

House No. 58: Trulli
ink, colored pencil, and watercolor on paper, digital layout

8.5 in. x 11 in.
058/365; 02/27/11

A trullo is a traditional Apulian stone dwelling of the Italian Itria Valley. Similar to the French orri in their dry-stone conical roof structure, trulli traditionally were built without any mortar.

In addition to its unique architecture, the Itria Valley is famous for its annual summer opera festival. Where do I sign up?