FLORENCE, ITALY – The panoramic gardens of Villa Medici, home of the French Academy in Rome, and the English-style gardens of Ninfa near Latina were among the ten winners of the 2015 edition of the competition The most beautiful park in Italy.
Tuscany is represented by the colourful Giardino dei Tarocchi sculpture garden in Capalbio near Grosseto, containing twenty-two monumental figures representing the greater Mysteries of the tarot decorated with mosaics made of glass, ceramic and mirrors; and by the Garzoni historic garden in Collodi (Pescia) representing a synthesis of the Renaissance and Baroque, in few minutes you can also reach the hisotoric children park inspired by Pinocchio’s Tale, an enchanted place, with an almost retro style atmosphere. Opposite the Garzoni garden you can also see the Butterfly House is a large greenhouse where visitors will find an exotic garden populated by thousands of colorful tropical butterflies.
Other gardens to have won over the jury include Villa Toeplitz in the Lombard city of Varese, the former country residence of a German noble family with bucolic paths leading past gardens, fruit orchards and plays of water; and Villa Borromeo Visconti Litta near Milan with its fountains of Galatea and Neptune, its citrus garden and its outdoor theatre used for concerts, plays and other events. The northwestern region of Liguria also boasts two winners: the terraced gardens of Villa Grock created by Charles Adrien Wettach, the so-called ‘king of clowns’, in a mix of architectural styles; and Villa Serra di Sant’Olcese in Genoa, an English-style garden extending over nine hectares.
Southern regions are represented by Puglia’s La Cutura botanical garden in Giuggianello, with 35 hectares of rare cacti and tropical plants; and Villa Caristo in Stignano near Reggio Calabria, an 18th-century rural villa that is the only example of baroque art in Calabria.
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