Don’t you think that Spring is the most beautiful season of the year? The fragrance of the blooming flowers, the smell of raw green and sprouting buds after a rain fall, trees blossoming and warm sunny days: that’s Spring. And nature’s free bounty and extravagance always seem more beautiful during Spring. The weather gets a little bit warmer, animals that were sleeping all winter come out from their dens and people start to spend more time outside, under the sun. Despite the forecast, we should all live like it was always Spring! Furthermore, Spring makes you wonder: can you say for sure that those trees are the same trees you saw a few days before? Of course they are, but this season is so fast that you can’t recognize them once a few days go by. It seems that every garden can’t wait to reveal its natural vitality and energy. Spring is the season of rebirth of all living things and the celebration of the new year ahead. Once Spring has sprung, it’s time to get out and enjoy the outdoors! Gardens are never fresher than over the coming weeks, so make sure you read the following tips on how to make the most of them this Spring, in Italy.
If you’re planning to go to Verbania to see Maggiore Lake, you should also make a pit stop in Villa Taranto, especially in the botanical gardens. They were established between 1931 and 1940 by Neil McEacharn, a Scottish captain who set the name “Villa Taranto” in honour of an ancestor of his, named Duke of Taranto by Napoleon. Villa Taranto is not open to the public, but the gardens are open daily and during springtime (they are open from March to November) you can see over 1700 flowers in bloom and thousands of species of trees from all over the world, planted over an area of around 16 hectares, a beautiful fountain surrounded by blooming flowerbeds, an herbarium with natural paintings, a mausoleum chapel built in 1965, an artificial valley with a romantic one-arch stone bridge and breathless terraced gardens (you’ll be stunned by the view that lies in front of you!). Gardens of Villa Taranto are one of the most important botanic gardens in the world, they are an earthly paradise you can’t miss when you visit Italy.
For more info, visit the website.
2) The Garden of Tarot (Grosseto, Tuscany)
The Garden of Tarot (or Giardino dei Tarocchi in Italian) is an esoteric mosaic sculpture garden located in Capalbio (province of Grosseto, Tuscany), created by the French artist Niki de Saint Phalle. Garden of Tarot is totally inspired by Antoni Gaudí’s Parc Güell in Barcelona: in fact, both gardens are made of innovative structures, they are free of rational rigidity and classic shapes, because artists added their creative liberty to recreate a sort of “baroquism”. Mythological elements are very important and over the years many experts have tried to link the parks to various political and religious symbols. The Italian garden is made of 22 sculptures which represent tarot cards of Major Arcana. As the French artist said: “I am convinced that the cards contain an important message. The tarot cards have given me a key to better understanding my spiritual life and to dealing with life’s problems”. Some statues are small and made of resin, some large enough for people to live inside (12-15 meters tall), all decorated entirely in mosaics. It’s true, the biggest figures can be walked through and Niki de Saint Phalle himself lived inside the Sphinx for several months during its construction! The garden is a masterpiece, full of colourful mosaics and shining mirrors, so you can’t miss it!.
For more info, visit the website.
3) Garden of Ninfa (Latina, Lazio)
The Garden of Ninfa is an Italian natural monument which covers 8 hectares in Cisterna di Latina in the province of Latina, Lazio. The Garden of Ninfa is a splendid example of poetry and medieval architecture: it contains medieval ruins, grassy meadows, oaks, cypresses, exotic plants from all over the world, numerous watercourses and rambling roses growing over the stone walls that create a real English style romantic garden. This garden is a sort of literary salon, because a lot of famous writers (like Virgina Woolf, Truman Capote, Ungaretti and Moravia) found inspiration for their creations there. It is open to the public from April to November, but I suggest you to visit the park in late April or early May to catch the eruption of blossoming roses! For more info, visit the website.
4) Villa Durazzo-Pallavicini (Genoa, Liguria)
Built between 1840 and 1846 in Genoa, Villa Durazzo-Pallavicini is a small botanical garden in the English romantic style. It was built by the painter and decorator Michele Canzio, “a flourishing mind”, talented at “creating different theatrical scenes”, as a city guide describes him. The park comprises two ponds, a lot of particular plants (1500 different species), a dozen of notable structures, various statues and an extensive grotto which represents a Dantesque Inferno with walkways and subterranean lakes. Tourists have the chance to explore the grotto by boat: the path can be compared to a step-by-step ascension to Paradise. In the central area of the villa there is also the Museum of Archeology, with Ligurian artefacts from prehistory to the Roman era. If you visit this garden you can easily share the spotlight with flourishing nature and wonderful art.
For more info, visit the website.
5) Villa Grock (Imperia, Liguria)
Easily one of the most dramatically beautiful sites in Italy, Villa Grock is composed of a museum and a wonderful park. Villa Grock in Imperia (Liguria) was built by Grock, the stage name of Adrien Wettach from Switzerland (Reconvilier, 1880 – Imperia, 1959), a clown, composer and musician who went to Imperia in the 1920s to retire. Called “the king of clowns”, he was considered the best entertainer in the world and when he arrived in Imperia to relax he built Villa Grock, a 50-room house, an extraordinary construction in Liberty/Baroque style, sometimes a bit excessive, bizarre and clownish, just like the eclectic owner. If you go there you can visit the open public park and you can take a tour through the magnificent rooms of the villa that recreated the circus world and, in particular, the world of clowns.
For more info, visit the website.
The Vatican Gardens cover about half of the 44 hectares of Vatican City, exactly 23 hectares, more than half of the country governed by the Pope. Established during the Renaissance and Baroque era, Vatican Gardens are composed by private urban gardens and parks decorated with fountains, grottoes, fortifications, monuments and sculptures. This has been a wonderful place of quiet and meditation for the popes since 1279 and nowadays there’s no general public access, but guided tours are available to small groups. You should book your guided tour at least a week in advance and make the most of the time spent there. Have a look around and walk through these beautiful gardens, and don’t forget to take amazing photos!
For more info, visit the website.
7) Rose Garden (Florence, Tuscany)
8) Botanical Gardens Lama degli Ulivi (Bari, Apulia)
Botanical Garden Lama degli Ulivi is located in the South of Italy, in Monopoli (province of Bari, Apulia), where the countryside has plenty of aged olive trees. It offers a particular landscape typical from Apulia, because it is located in sinkholes, karst valleys also known as “lame”, depressions created over the centuries by the flowing water. Here you can admire more than 2,000 species of plants from all over the world and, of course, centuries-old olive trees brought there by the Greeks 2500 years ago. The sinkhole offers an array of scenic spots in a gorgeous setting amid a beautiful garden. Visiting the Botanical Gardens Lama degli Ulivi will certainly offer you a unique experience. Just add this precious garden to your list and let us know if you liked it!
For more info, visit the website.
We’ve handpicked the 8 best gardens and parks in Italy you can visit during Spring, from Genoa to Rome and Apulia. All these gardens are definitely worth a trip during your stay in the country. Now it’s your turn to start planning a trip and Spring is the best season to do so, because you will definitely appreciate the perfect temperature, ideal to have a quick lunch on the grass, to walk in the parks with your loved ones, along with stunning sunset contemplations during crisp evenings. So contact us to plan your trip together, and start packing for the time of your life in Italy!
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