There are many places to visit in Italy, during the spring the most beautiful experience is certainly the visit of one of the splendid gardens of our peninsula: in the post, many visiting tips, from north to south.
Do you feel spring in the air? The chirping of birds, the lengthening of the days, the good weather and the milder temperatures already make us dream of trips out of town and picnics in the open air. This is the best time to organize a picnic and take the opportunity to immerse yourself in the beauty of gardens in bloom. From north to south, here is where you can admire some of the most evocative blooms in Italy.
1. Villa Carlotta - Como
Roses, citrus fruits, camellias, azaleas, a romantic garden, the rock garden and succulents, tropical plants, aromatic plants, rhododendrons, the valley of ferns and monumental trees. All this and much more can be found at Museum and Botanical Garden of Villa Carlotta, in Tramezzino on Lake Como. The entrance ticket includes a visit to the museum inside the villa and to the botanical garden. Don't miss the azalea flowering in May.
2. Gardens of Trauttmansdorf Castle - Bolzano
In the 12 hectares of the Gardens of Trauttmansdorf Castle you literally immerse yourself in nature. 80 botanical environments offer the opportunity to admire plants and flowers from all over the world. The activities are numerous and are divided into themed gardens, multisensory stations, artistic pavilions, the Path of Sissi (from the city to the gardens) and the Touriseum tourism museum. With a single entrance ticket you can visit a bamboo forest, the Japanese garden, the palm beach, the secret garden, a labyrinth, the water lily pond… and many others.
3. Sigurtà Garden Park - Verona
The flowering of the tulips in the garden is the most awaited, so much so that we have a dedicated event called Tulipanomania. Open in March and April, this flowering paints the park with wonderful colors, but it is not the only one in the place.
Irises, roses, water lilies, hydrangeas, sunflowers, peonies, and many others help to beautify and embellish the park throughout the year. The points of interest are numerous, the Avenue of Roses, the labyrinth, the hermitage, the water gardens and the deer valley are undoubtedly the most suggestive. I recommend that you wear comfortable shoes or choose to visit the park by bike, train, golf cart or shuttle given its very large size.
4. Quistini Castle - Brescia
A labyrinth of roses, a bioenergetic garden, a secret garden of hydrangeas and the orchard of the castle make up the 10.000 square meters of the botanical garden of Castello Quistini. In addition to the gardens it is possible to visit the rooms of the castle, through guided tours and extraordinary openings in spring on the occasion of the blooms.
5. Villa Pisani Bolognesi Scalabrin - Padua
From late March to late April, 15 varieties of tulips bring color to the gardens of Villa Pisani Bolognesi Scalabrin. Do not miss the opportunity to participate in a picnic in the gardens or the treasure hunt organized for Easter Monday.
6. Conca dei Rododendri at the Zegna Oasis - Biella
We are inside the Zegna Oasis and walking in the rhododendron basin is a bit like entering a wonderful parallel world that seems almost straight out of a movie set. From the end of May it is possible to participate in Accompanied walks together with nature guides who will illustrate the flowering.
7. Villa Taranto - Lake Maggiore
Villa Taranto's 80.000 tulips welcome spring every April with their 70 different varieties and a fascinating 400-meter maze. In addition to these, hyacinths, camellias, magnolias, rhododendrons, narcissus, violets and muscari enrich Villa Taranto with their wonderful flowery show.
8.Villa della Pergola - Alassio
In the 22.000 square meters of the park of Villa della Pergola you can admire two splendid blooms. 32 different varieties of wisteria color the park of the villa with their soft colors ranging from white to lilac while the collection of Agapanthus is one of the most important in Europe and has 400 different varieties that bloom in June. Admission also includes a guided tour of the botanical garden.
9. Hanbury Botanical Gardens - Ventimiglia
5800 ornamental, fruit and medicinal plants make up the monumental English botanical garden of Villa Hanbury which boasts blooms all year round. Created by the family of the same name starting in 1867, the garden is now cared for by the University of Genoa. Tropical plants, succulents, a Perfume Garden, the Australian Forest, Gardens with roses and peonies, a citrus grove with ancient varieties of citrus fruits and an exotic Orchard form these wonderful gardens, once the study place of the botanists of the famous Kew Gardens.
10. Pralormo Castle - Turin
Messer Tulipano is the name that every year is accompanied by the most spectacular flowering of the English gardens of Castello di Pralormo. Thousands of tulips and daffodils make the colors explode and greet spring and the opening of the Castle to the public. The gardens of the Castle are part of the World Circuit of Tulip Gardens.
11. Regional Park of the Abbey of Monteveglio - Valsamoggia
This thousand hectares of regional park on the hills in the province of Bologna, is one of the smallest parks in Emilia Romagna, but perhaps one of the most evocative thanks to the splendid flowering of lavender which has nothing to envy to the most famous landscapes of Provence. Numerous itineraries and routes are offered as well as guided tours.
12. La Mortella Gardens - Ischia
Created in 1956, the Mediterranean and subtropical gardens La Mortella are divided into two parts, a lower garden in the Valley and a higher one, on the terraced hill with dry stone walls. Designed by the landscape architect Russel Page, they develop on a rocky terrain of volcanic origin. The numerous points of interest, including a waterfall, fountains, a temple, a nymphaeum, an Aloe garden and aquatic plants, make the visit interesting and varied. The most spectacular flowering is that of the camellias, during the winter.
13. Villa Bardini - Florence
The wisteria, hydrangeas, roses and irises of Villa Bardini offer a unique show with their blooms, from March to November, in the splendid setting of the villa and its pergola in bloom. In addition to this, 4 hectares of wood and a magnificent panoramic view over the city of Florence.
14. Sunflower fields - Val d'Orcia and Valdichiana
Tuscany gives us another wonder of mother nature every year: the magnificent sunflower fields of the Val d'Orcia and Valdichiana which every summer in July and August paint the Tuscan hills a wonderful color of the sun. Leave the navigator at home and get lost in the narrow streets in the middle of the fields.
15. Castelluccio di Norcia - Umbria
The Fiorita della Piana di Castelluccio, in the Sibillini National Park, makes the color explode on the panorama below. Lentils, gentianella, poppies, daffodils, violets and many other flowers bloom, painting the meadows yellow, red, purple, white and making the view a real living natural picture.
16. Moutan Botanical Center - Viterbo
The flowering of the numerous varieties of peonies of the Moutan botanical center begins in mid-April and extends until May and is contextual to the blossoming of other types of flowers such as climbing roses, wisteria, viburnums and prunus.
The center also organizes numerous events such as photography courses, pilates lessons and one treasure hunt for children on Easter Monday.
17. Garden of Ninfa - Latina
In the 8 hectares of the romantic English garden of Ninfa you are transported as if by magic into a magical world, where fairies and mythical characters seem to be able to come out at any moment from every corner. The blooms of April and May enrich the place even more, which stands on the remains of a medieval town, now an integral part of the garden. Inside the garden there are 1300 botanical species, including numerous roses, wisteria, hydrangeas and bamboo.
18. Rocca d'Ajello - Macerata
The majestic XNUMXth century castle, which dominates the Marche landscape from the top of the hill, encloses a splendid garden within its walls, where tulips, daffodils, old roses, peonies, hydrangeas and dahlias give us their beauty from spring until November. Furthermore, the meadows surrounding the castle are dressed in the most beautiful colors on the occasion of the spontaneous blossoming of violets, cyclamen, primroses and irises. Visits to the Rocca d'Ajello are only possible by appointment by contacting the managers directly.
Did you already know these places and their colorful blooms? Have you seen any or do you have others to recommend? I've already added a few places to my to-do list this spring!
