In the early years of Catherine II’s reign the Old Garden between what became the Ramp Alley (an extension of the Ramp) of the Catherine Park and the road beneath the Caprice was redesigned along the lines of a landscape park. The Great Meadow, extending for over 200 metres, was laid out in front of the south façade of the Zubov Wing of the Catherine Palace with paths running along its sides. In the middle of the nineteenth century, the creation of the Private Garden in this section led to the loss of one of the magnificent landscape areas of the Catherine Park. In 1856 part of the park was separated off by a low railing with three gates that were decorated with gilded bronze ornaments cast to designs made by the architect Ippolito Monighetti. Finally, in 1865 the architect Alexander Vidov laid out the intimate Private Garden here on the instructions of Emperor Alexander II.