© Livioandronico2013 · CC BY-SA 4.0Request removal

🌿 Italy's most beautiful gardens and spas

54 places ordered by editorial score

  1. 1 Fresco depicting Apollo's chariot on the ceiling of a hall inside Villa d'Este in Tivoli. Villa d'Este Tivoli · Lazio Six hundred metres of tunnel under Tivoli, and the fountains still run without a single pump. 90
  2. 2 Panoramic view of the Borromean Islands on Lake Maggiore from Stresa Borromean Islands Stresa · Piedmont A bare rock turned into ten terraces of garden: the Borromeo family's Isola Bella. 89
  3. 3 The historic Villa Rufolo complex with its medieval tower in Ravello Villa Rufolo Ravello · Campania The garden where Wagner recognised Klingsor's, hanging above the Gulf of Salerno. 89
  4. 4 Terrace of Infinity at Villa Cimbrone in Ravello with marble busts overlooking the Amalfi Coast Villa Cimbrone and the Terrace of Infinity Ravello · Campania Historic Ravello estate famous for the Terrace of Infinity, transformed in 1904 into an eclectic intellectual retreat. 87
  5. 5 Medieval tower at the Garden of Ninfa amidst citrus trees in Cisterna di Latina Garden of Ninfa Cisterna di Latina · Lazio Created in 1921 over medieval ruins, this eight-hectare English landscape garden contains over a thousand plant species. 86
  6. 6 Orto botanico di Padova — Padua Orto botanico di Padova Padua · Veneto It was made against fraud: to tell the genuine medicinal plants from the fakes. 76
  7. 7 Historic thermal spa building and outdoor pool at Terme di Pré-Saint-Didier surrounded by mountains. Pré-Saint-Didier Thermal Baths Pré-Saint-Didier · Aosta Valley Historic 19th-century thermal baths favored by the House of Savoy, set alongside the dramatic Verney river gorge. 76
  8. 8 Orto e Museo Botanico di Pisa — Pisa Orto e Museo Botanico di Pisa Pisa · Tuscany Luca Ghini's Garden of Simples, the oldest in the world by date: eighteenth-century trees a step from the Tower. 73
  9. 9 orto botanico di Bologna — Bologna orto botanico di Bologna Bologna · Emilia-Romagna One of Europe's oldest botanic gardens, which changed its place in the city three times. 60
  10. 10 Giardino dei Semplici — Florence Giardino dei Semplici Florence · Tuscany The world's third oldest botanic garden, born to teach doctors their plants. 58
  11. 11 Orto botanico di Trieste — Trieste Orto botanico di Trieste Trieste · Friuli Venezia Giulia The garden where the reforesting of the Carso began, on the hill above Trieste. 58
  12. 12 parco del Valentino — Turin parco del Valentino Turin · Piedmont The park on the Po with a Savoy castle, the fountain of the months and a fake village. 58
  13. 13 Giardino botanico alpino Paradisia — Cogne Giardino botanico alpino Paradisia Cogne · Aosta Valley The alpine garden of Gran Paradiso, its plants arranged by habitat. 57
  14. 14 Giardino della Montagnola — Bologna Giardino della Montagnola Bologna · Emilia-Romagna Bologna's first public park, grown on the rubble of the papal fortresses. 57
  15. 15 orto botanico dell'Università di Ferrara — Ferrara orto botanico dell'Università di Ferrara Ferrara · Emilia-Romagna The garden of simples of 1771, survivor of four moves in two centuries. 57
  16. 16 Giardino Botanico Alpino Viote — Trento Giardino Botanico Alpino Viote Trento · Trentino-South Tyrol The Viote alpine garden on the Bondone, with a rockery for each range. 56
  17. 17 orto botanico di Parma — Parma orto botanico di Parma Parma · Emilia-Romagna Parma's seventeenth-century garden of simples, with Petitot's greenhouses. 56
  18. 18 Orto botanico di Siena — Siena Orto botanico di Siena Siena · Tuscany Siena university's garden, in a small valley inside the city walls. 56
  19. 19 Giardino Ibleo — Ragusa Giardino Ibleo Ragusa · Sicily Ragusa's oldest public garden, founded in 1858 in Ragusa Ibla, home to historic churches and broad valley views. 55
  20. 20 Orto botanico dell'Università di Genova — Genoa Orto botanico dell'Università di Genova Genoa · Liguria Six greenhouses, monumental ferns and century-old sequoias: the university garden since 1803. 55
  21. 21 Giardino botanico alpino Rezia — Bormio Giardino botanico alpino Rezia Bormio · Lombardy A botanical garden in Bormio preserving 1,300 plant species native to Stelvio National Park and global mountains. 54
  22. 22 Orto Botanico dell'Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia — Modena Orto Botanico dell'Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia Modena · Emilia-Romagna Botanical Garden of the University of Modena, founded in 1758 by Francesco III d'Este in the heart of the city. 54
  23. 23 Orto botanico di Palermo — Palermo Orto botanico di Palermo Palermo · Sicily Palermo's botanical garden, grown on the Inquisition's burning ground. 54
  24. 24 orto botanico di Torino — Turin orto botanico di Torino Turin · Piedmont Turin's university garden, painted plant by plant for over a century. 54
  25. 25 giardino Inglese — Palermo giardino Inglese Palermo · Sicily The nineteenth-century park on viale della Libertà, with its fake Norman temple. 53
  26. 26 Panoramic view of Bergamo and the historic Città Alta from above Orto Botanico di Bergamo "Lorenzo Rota" Bergamo · Lombardy Botanical garden in Città Alta on the Colle Aperto, with Orobic flora, carnivorous plants and an Astino section. 53
  27. 27 villa Giulia — Palermo villa Giulia Palermo · Sicily The eighteenth-century garden of the Kalsa, with its twelve-dial stone. 53
  28. 28 Giardino della Minerva — Salerno Giardino della Minerva Salerno · Campania A 14th-century medicinal garden in Salerno created by Matteo Silvatico, precursor to European botanical gardens. 52
  29. 29 lungomare Trieste — Salerno lungomare Trieste Salerno · Campania Salerno's historic 1.5-kilometer pedestrianized waterfront promenade running alongside the Tyrrhenian Sea. 52
  30. 30 orto botanico di Villa Beuca — Cogoleto orto botanico di Villa Beuca Cogoleto · Liguria Ten Ligurian plant habitats on a terrace above Cogoleto, tended by a social cooperative. 52
  31. 31 Orto botanico Pietro Castelli — Messina Orto botanico Pietro Castelli Messina · Sicily Established in 1638, Messina's University Botanical Garden showcases exotic trees and rare Sicilian endemics. 52
  32. 32 orto botanico Selva di Gallignano — Ancona orto botanico Selva di Gallignano Ancona · Marche A nature preserve and research garden of the Marche Polytechnic University protecting a native forest near Ancona. 52
  33. 33 parco del Cardeto — Ancona parco del Cardeto Ancona · Marche Spanning 35 hectares over the cliffs of Ancona, Cardeto Park is the city's largest urban green space. 52
  34. 34 Parco Montirone — Abano Terme Parco Montirone Abano Terme · Veneto Historic Abano Terme park on a 30,000-year-old travertine mound created by deep geothermal springs. 52
  35. 35 Panoramic view of Vicenza with its historic center and mountains in the background Campo Marzo Vicenza · Veneto Large park of Vicenza at the foot of Monte Berico, municipal for centuries, its name still disputed: Marzo or Marzio. 51
  36. 36 Panoramic view of Vicenza with its historic center and mountains in the background Giardini Salvi Vicenza · Veneto Historic garden of 1592 with the Palladio-inspired Valmarana loggia, open to the public since 1909. 51
  37. 37 View of Piazza dei Martiri in Belluno featuring porticoed buildings and cobblestone paving. Giardino botanico delle Alpi Orientali Belluno · Veneto An alpine garden on Monte Faverghera, above Belluno, with about eight hundred species of the eastern Alps. 51
  38. 38 Giardini di Castel Trauttmansdorff — Merano Giardini di Castel Trauttmansdorff Merano · Trentino-South Tyrol Merano's botanical garden: about eighty gardens around the castle where Sissi stayed, with the Touriseum. 50
  39. 39 Panoramic view of Vicenza with its historic center and mountains in the background parco Querini Vicenza · Veneto Twelve-hectare park between the Bacchiglione and Astichello, with an Ionic temple of 1820 and a pond. 49
  40. 40 Villa Margherita — Trapani Villa Margherita Trapani · Sicily Trapani's main public garden, opened in 1889 and dedicated to Queen Margherita of Savoy. 48
  41. 41 parco della Favara — Palermo parco della Favara Palermo · Sicily The Norman park of Brancaccio, named for the spring it has lost. 47
  42. 42 Fountain in San Silvestro square with the historic church behind in L'Aquila, Italy. Giardino botanico alpino di Campo Imperatore L'Aquila · Abruzzo Alpine botanical garden above the natural vegetation limit, near the Gran Sasso cableway. 46
  43. 43 Marble street sign for Via Atenea on a wall in Agrigento. giardino della Kolymbetra Agrigento · Sicily Citrus and almond garden in the Valley of the Temples, an ancient pool of 480 BC, restored by the FAI. 46
  44. 44 Panoramic night view of Piazza Castromediano in Lecce with outdoor cafe seating. Orto botanico dell'Università del Salento Lecce · Puglia Lecce's university botanical garden, founded in 1994 on the Ecotekne campus, devoted to the flora of Salento. 46
  45. 45 Fountain in San Silvestro square with the historic church behind in L'Aquila, Italy. Orto botanico dell'Università dell'Aquila L'Aquila · Abruzzo Sloping botanical garden below the basilica of Collemaggio, with its Transhumance garden. 46
  46. 46 Orto botanico di Catania — Catania Orto botanico di Catania Catania · Sicily Founded in 1858, the Catania Botanical Garden preserves exotic plants, succulents, and rare Sicilian endemics. 46
  47. 47 Giardino Bellini — Catania Giardino Bellini Catania · Sicily Catania's oldest public park, developed from an 18th-century labyrinth owned by the Prince of Biscari. 45
  48. 48 Panoramic view of Paternò from the historic hill showing city rooftops and Mount Etna Giardino Moncada Paternò · Sicily The large public park of Paternò, created from a citrus grove given by Cavaliere Moncada in 1912. 43
  49. 49 The Elephant Fountain in Piazza del Duomo in Catania at sunset Giardino Pacini Catania · Sicily The garden whose sea was taken away in four stages. 43
  50. 50 Ruins of the ancient Roman theatre in Ascoli Piceno set against a green hillside parco dell'Annunziata Ascoli Piceno · Marche The park on Ascoli Piceno's highest hill, between the Fortezza Pia, the Roman caves and the Annunziata cloister. 43
  51. 51 Parco Urbano delle Cantine — Barile Parco Urbano delle Cantine Barile · Basilicata 131 caves in volcanic tuff: here Pasolini filmed the Nativity in 1964 42
  52. 52 Villa comunale di Taormina — Taormina Villa comunale di Taormina Taormina · Sicily Lady Trevelyan's English garden: her victorian follies and a terrace facing Etna. 36
  53. 53 Interior of Santa Maria Assunta Cathedral in Andria, Apulia villa comunale Giuseppe Marano Andria · Puglia Park of 70,000 square metres in Andria, on the old racecourse, with an open-air theatre and a games square. 36
  54. 54 parco della Rimembranza — Montemilone parco della Rimembranza Montemilone · Basilicata A bronze eagle with a broken wing tops the war memorial of 1925. 35