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| Garden in a vase, Hesperides Garden, Viterbo area |
Spring has finally arrived here in
central Italy and it is time to tour some of the delightful gardens that can be found in Lazio and Tuscany.
Here is my personal selection plus links to more information and previous blog posts about some of those
in the area around Viterbo.
Quirinale Palace, Rome
The magnificent gardens of the Quirinale Palace in the heart
of ancient Rome are part of the Italian
president’s residence. I
wonder if President Giorgio Napolitano ( at 87 years of age, he was elected
for a second seven-year term yesterday !) ever gets a chance to enjoy a
walk here. www.quirinale.it
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| Christina's tulips, see more on her blog" My Hesperides Garden" |
Villa d’Este, Tivoli
Villa d’Este, built by Cardinal Ippolito Este,
has hundreds of fountains and shady avenues.
A perfect day trip from Rome when combined with a visit to nearby Hadrian’s
Villa, the archetype of luxury
residential architecture. The ruins of the Hadrian’s Villa have inspired Palladio,
Raphael, Michelangelo, Leonardo, Borromini, Piranesi and Canova. www.villadestetivoli.info
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| lavender explodes in all its perfumed glory in late June and July |
Castel Giuliano, Bracciano
Located on the slope of the Tolfa mountains,
the grounds of Castel Giuliano show Marchesa Patrizi’s passion for roses with hundreds of ancient species
surrounding Etruscan tombs. www.castel-giuliano.it
San Liberato Gardens, Bracciano Lake
Bracciano is set among the Sabatini and Tolfa hills and known for the imposing Orsini Odescalchi Castle, built by Napoleone Orsini in 1470. The Sanminiatelli family’s castle is surrounded by magnificent Botanical gardens of San Liberato, a popular venue for weddings. Nearby is the tiny Lake of Martignano surrounded by cypress and poplars . www.sanliberato.it
Sacro
Bosco, Bomarzo
Inscriptions highlighted in red expressing
Vicino Orsini’s philosophy are engraved on the tufa stone figures, moss covered
benches, plaques and architectural follies of the park. www.parcodeimostri.com
Palazzo
Farnese, Caprarola
This
magnificent pentagonal palace can be considered the height of nepotism,
for it was built for Cardinal Alessandro
Farnese, grandson of Pope Paul III Farnese. The upper gardens have delightful
avenues, giant stone sculptures and a
pleasure house.
Villa
Lante, Bagnaia
A great parterre with intricate boxwood embroidery
frames the 4-part pool surrounded by balustrades decorated with Cardinal Gambara's crayfish symbol. Moss covered stairs lead to the top of
the garden with views over bubbling fountains.
Nearby is the Cardinal’s "icebox", Conserva della Neve,
where snow was stored for making sorbets.
Peony
Gardens, Vitorchiano
April and May
are the flowering months for the thousands of peony plants of Centro Botanico Moutan . www.centrobotanicomoutan.it
Castello
Ruspoli, Vignanello
Beyond the moat of Castello Ruspoli are the raised gardens laid out by Ottavia Orsini,
daughter of the creator of Bomarzo’s Sacro Bosco. The box hedges have intricate designs which include the initials of family members. The prince’s secret
garden is hidden in a sunken area. www.castelloruspoli.com
La
Foce, Tuscany
Iris Origo commissioned garden architect Cecil Pinsent, to create the gardens of La Foce between 1925 and 1939. The garden has geometrical “rooms” made from box hedges and potted lemon
trees, enhanced with wisteria pergolas and lavender hedges. Part of the large estate, the
garden also has a family cemetery.
For more information on historic and modern gardens, nature reserves, castles to visit, unusual museums and other treasures see my website and order one of the many books published in English (and soon in Italian) about central Italy.
For more information on historic and modern gardens, nature reserves, castles to visit, unusual museums and other treasures see my website and order one of the many books published in English (and soon in Italian) about central Italy.
