Preservation, renovation, and restoration efforts at Sonnenberg Gardens is an ever on-going activity as the estate features many structures, statues, and gardens each in need of specialized care. Over the last ten years, $4 million dollars of improvements have been made. Some improvements, like new roofing or statue cleaning, may go largely unnoticed while other work, like this year's Palm House restoration in our greenhouse complex, is hard to miss.
One of the next items slated for restoration is the "Glorietta" in our Italian Garden. The Glorietta is a
Garden Folly which is an eccentric or extravagant structure created as a garden or landscape decoration. The Glorietta is one of our most unique and interesting garden pieces and can be seen below.
At the southwestern corner of the garden there rises a light and airy white marble summer house, with a domed canopy of iron grille work. I do not know what to call that feature, precisely; but it was imported from Italy, and it is the particular long-distance architectural feature of this garden. In one sense it is an informality; for it is a conspicuous side effect, balanced by nothing. Its real purpose is to carry a strong impression of artistic value clear down the length of the garden, and into its most remote corner.
Age and weather have been hard on the century-old carved marble and wrought iron components of the Glorietta. It is in need of specialized and expensive conservation care. These detailed images show some of the unique design elements as well as examples of the damage the years have caused.
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| Sonnenberg Glorietta |
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| Column Base Detail |
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| Reverse View |
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Ironwork Dome
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While we operate in cooperation with New York State, we are not funded by the State. All operational needs and restoration activities at Sonnenberg are funded through the efforts of our nonprofit organization, Your donation will go far in helping to preserve this and other historic structures at Sonnenberg which are irreplaceable treasures. To make your gift, click the donate button below.
