Villas, Parks, Gardens to visit in Italy
In Italy, there are many parks and gardens to visit and not only the refined late-Renaissance Italian gardens but also ancient prestigious academic botanical gardens, romantic “English” ones, park-museums containing works of art, wild parks with centuries-old trees, or parks of ancient villas that can often be visited with the villas themselves,
All of these gardens are the opportunity to discover beautiful places both in large cities and in small towns and offer tourists to experience something new and interesting, out of common clichés.
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NORTHERN ITALY
Piedmont and Aosta Valley
– Alpinia Botanical Garden, one of the first Alpine botanical gardens in Italy: more than 1000 species of plants. In the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, in Piedmont. From April to October close to Stresa>>>
– Saussurea Garden, the highest botanical garden in Europe is in the Aosta Valley. From June to September on Mont Blanc, in Courmayeur>>>
– Gamba Castle, a 5-hectare park with centuries-old trees and a museum of contemporary art inside the castle. Open from April to September. In the Aosta Valley, in Châtillon>>>
Lombardy
– Villa Carlotta Gardens and Museum, overlooking the shores of Lake Como, hosts a beautiful garden and a museum with important works of art. From March to early November, in Tremezzo>>>
Liguria
– Hanbury Botanical Gardens, one of the most famous botanical gardens in Europe and among the 10 most beautiful in Italy. Open all year long. In Ventimiglia>>>
– Park of Villa Durazzo Pallavicini, one of the most famous romantic gardens in Europe. From March to October in Genoa Pegli>>>
Veneto
– Botanical Garden of Padua, founded in 1545, with an “ancient” area and the new “biodiversity garden” with plants from all the planet’s biomes. Open all year long. In the center of Padua>>>
– Giusti Garden, one of the most beautiful examples of an Italian style gardens in Italy. Open all the year. In Verona>>>
Trentino Alto Adige
– The Gardens and Trauttmansdorff Castle, the Castle where Princess Sissi lived and its 12-hectare Gardens, with 80 examples of botanical environments and both exotic and Mediterranean plants. Open from April to November in the province of Bolzano, in Merano>>>
– Arte Sella Park and Villa Strobele an open-air museum of contemporary art at about 1000 meters above sea level. Open all year long. In the province of Trento, in Borgo Valsugana>>>
Friuli Venezia Giulia
– San Giovanni Park, a 22-hectare public park and one of the most important rose gardens in Europe. Open all year long. In Trieste>>>
CENTRAL ITALY
Tuscany
– Garden of Villa Bardini, a 4-hectare historic garden with a breathtaking view over the city of Florence. Open all year long>>>
– Boboli Gardens, one of the greatest examples of Italian garden style behind Palazzo Pitti, in Florence>>>
– Daniel Spoerri Garden, a 16-hectare garden-museum designed by Daniel Spoerri with 113 installations by 55 artists. In the province of Grosseto, in Seggiano>>>
– Garden of Tarot, the statues of the Tarots Major Arcana in a garden with an esoteric charm. From April to October. In the province of Grosseto, in Capalbio.>>>
– Quinto Martini Park-Museum, a 3-hectare garden housing 36 bronze statues by Quinto Martini. Open all year long. In the province of Prato, in Seano>>>
– Chianti Sculpture Park, an “art garden” with contemporary installations and sculptures. Open all year long. In the province of Siena, in Pievasciata>>>
SOUTHERN ITALY
Campania
– San Silvestro Forest. It was once a property of the Royal Palace of Caserta. Today it is a 76-hectare WWF Oasis. Open all year long. Nature trails. In Caserta>>>
Calabria
– Mediterranean Biodiversity Park, is a 60-hectare natural area in the heart of Catanzaro>>>
Sicily
– Botanical Garden of Palermo, the most tropical garden in Europe, a 10-hectare park in the heart of Palermo>>>
Cover photos, from top to bottom, from left to right: Saussurea Garden, Giusti Garden, Villa Bardini Garden and Hanbury Botanical Gardens