The Rasponi Gardens in Ravenna

With all of the important historic sights and stunning mosaics to see in Ravenna it is important to take some time out. A stop for a coffee or a leisurely lunch provides time to reflect and organize one’s impressions and memories. Even better is to stop by a pretty garden for a few moments of quiet between all the monuments. On a recent trip to Ravenna, two small gardens provided a much needed break in my sightseeing. Both were created by the Rasponi family, who were important economic and political forces in the years between the 1500’s and 1800’s.

Giardino delle Erbe Dimenticate (also called Giardino Rasponi), Ravenna

The first garden was a purely accidental find. While walking across town I spotted a sign for a botanic garden just off Piazza J.F. Kennedy and behind the Palazzo Rasponi dalle Teste. Inside was the sweetest small space called the Giardino delle Erbe Dimenticate (The Forgotten Herb Garden). Originally a walled garden for the oldest Rasponi palazzo in Ravenna, it was recently restored and now serves as a public space. It is not a big garden, just large enough to have a central fountain surrounded by flower and herb beds. Pomegranate and apple trees provide shade. Small tables are scattered throughout - perfect spots for a break from sightseeing or for a bit of lunch from the cafe at the front of the garden. These little almost-hidden spots are some of the most enchanting places to discover.

The second garden space was the Giardini Pensili (Hanging Gardens). The gardens, along with the Rasponi Crypt, are the oldest surviving parts of another Palazzo Rasponi, dating from the late 1700’s, most of which was destroyed by fire in the 1920’s. Today the gardens and crypt lie within the Palazzo della Provincia complex in Piazza San Francesco, not far from Dante’s tomb. The gardens are spread over several terraces which climb up around the central tower housing the crypt. The first garden is on the ground floor and set around a large 3-tiered central fountain. There are hedges and trees and a wonderful feeling of serenity here. From the entry garden, a path leads to the crypt.

The lowest level of the Giardini Pensili (Hanging Gardens)

The crypt most likely served as a small family chapel, it was never used as a burial space. It has wonderful curved brick walls with deep arches between several small rooms. The floors contain some ancient mosaics. Today small art pieces are on display.

Outside the crypt, a staircase leads to the next level of the gardens. Here is a wonderful, restful spot - a shaded arbor with views over the lower garden. What a cool and refreshing spot this must have provided the long ago Rasponi family. Or perhaps it was under this shade that Lord Byron sat with his lover, the Contessa Guiccioli, when he was in Ravenna. The arbor certainly has a romantic air about it.

The top level of the gardens shift the view from the interior of the complex to the outside world. The Basilica of San Francesco and its campanile (bell tower), along with distant views of rooftops and towers, can be seen from this open platform with its interesting ground cover of grass and white rock. There is also a great view of the merlons atop the tower which houses the crypt (the merlons are the M-shaped brick pillars at the very top of many towers and castles).

The climb down from the top gives a different perspective on the gardens and the tower housing the crypt.

Just outside the complex is a perfect place for another break - the Caffè Pasticceria Palumbo, set just under the portico in Piazza San Francesco.

A Historic Garden In Collodi, Italy

Collodi is a fairy tale place. It is not the Tuscany of rolling hills, carefully tended vines and olive trees that most people picture when they think of this region. Instead, the small village of Collodi seems to climb straight up a mountainside in the middle of a forest, hanging precariously on the slope. At the top is the medieval fortress La Rocca and a small church. At the bottom is the Villa Garzoni, built on the ruins of a Medieval Castle. An imposing structure, with its yellow color and 100 windows, the villa sits at the entrance to the town of Collodi. The villa itself is not open to the public, nor is the colorful Palazzina d’Estate (Summer Palace) which sits directly behind it. The only part of either that it is possible to enter is the Palazzina’s chapel, pictured below.

And then of course there is Pinocchio. Carlo Lorenzini, the author of Pinocchio, used the pen name Collodi as an homage to this village where his mother once worked. Many families come to Collodi to visit the Parco di Pinocchio (Pinocchio Park), a children’s adventure theme park based on the storybook character. But it was not the Pinocchio story that drew me to Collodi. Instead, I went with friends who were in Italy to visit classic gardens. The historic Giardino Garzoni, dating from the mid-1600’s and completed by the Lucchese architect Ottaviano Diodati in the 17th century, was on their “must see” list. I was delighted to join them for a day of visiting gardens near my home in Lucca.

Looking down on the lowest part of the garden, from an upper terrace

The Garzoni garden is a wonder, with something enchanting to see at every turn as it climbs the steep slope beside the villa. Like many Italian Renaissance gardens there is amazing architectural detail including a dramatic twin staircase (which contains a hidden grotto)

The twin staircases to the upper terraces

Water also plays a starring role in the garden, with a series of fountains and cascades of water tumbling down the slope. Tucked under the stairs is the Grotto of Neptune, another watery feature.

Two round pools lie at the bottom of the garden, just below a parterre full of greenery and flowers. Above that lies the staircase which begins the upward climb through several levels of terrace.

Keep climbing to the water stairs which flank the cascade that runs down to the lower garden. At the top of the climb lies a pool with a statue of Fame, who blows jets of water from a horn in dramatic fashion.

From the top of the water stairs lies a path, lined with camellias, which leads to the villa and the summer palace. This path too is lined with statues and interesting architectural details.

The fantastical nature of the garden reveals itself in places like in Neptune’s grotto, secret pathways and hidden spots, a labyrinth, and statues of mythical creatures and assorted ancient gods, goddesses, and legendary figures.

A visit to the gardens of Villa Garzoni provides a glimpse into leisure activities of a powerful family during the Renaissance. It is one of the finest examples of an Italian Renaissance garden and a lovely destination for anyone interested in classic gardens. A perfect way to spend a spring morning in the Tuscan countryside.

Lucca in Bloom

April was quite cool and rainy this year; it seemed that spring would never arrive. Perhaps that long wait for spring has made May, with its lengthening days and beautiful weather, even more welcome. Right now the temperatures are perfect - just warm enough mornings, sunny warm afternoons, perfectly comfortable evenings. There are soft breezes and plenty of opportunities to stop and enjoy the feel of the sun on one’s face. Cool weather clothes have been packed away (finally!) and the midday sun gives a hint of the hot summer weather that is just around the corner. This is the in-between season, and it is one of the best times of year to be in Tuscany.

These roses can be found in the large park just behind the Church of San Francesco.

The magnolia blooms are long gone, the wisteria have mostly faded, and there are no poppies inside the historic center of the city (though they are a marvel out in the countryside). But that does not mean there is a shortage of color in town because in May Lucca erupts in roses and they are glorious.

This multi-colored rose garden is up on the walls that surround the historic center of Lucca.

I wish I could add a link that would share scent, because the roses fill the air with a soft, delicate perfume. This seems especially true for the banks of pink roses just outside Porta San Pietro, the main entrance into the city. Visitors to Lucca often enter this porta on their way from the train station into the city. And what a good first impression this makes!

Fragrant pink roses at Porta San Pietro. And why is there always a truck that “photo bombs” a good picture?

It’s impossible to walk past without stopping to appreciate the various shades of pink, the wonderful scent, the buzzing bees.

Not to be outdone by the pink roses just outside Porta San Pietro, these red ones are just inside the porta.

One of my favorite rose-filled places is the rose garden in the series of three small gardens in the chiostro (cloister) beside the Church of San Francesco. With an old well in the middle of the garden, and banks of roses fanning out in all directions, this is a delightful and well tended formal garden.

What a joy it is to walk through Lucca on a warm spring day and find these beautiful blooms.

Street side roses on Corso Garibaldi

Villa Torrigiani di Camigliano

For wealthy and prominent citizens of Lucca in the 16th and 17th century, having a villa outside of the city was both a summer getaway to the cool, fresh air of the hills and a status symbol. The villas were set in farmland, olive groves, or amid grape vines and were often surrounded by lovely gardens. Luckily for us, many of those historic villas still exist, are open to visitors, and are just a short distance from Lucca. A perfect day excursion.

The worker’s cottages are in Borgo Parigi, just outside the villa’s gates.

One such place is the Villa Torrigiani in the tiny village of Camigliano, in the commune of Capannori, about 6 miles from Lucca. The villa is framed by stone walls with large gates. The approach brings you slowly closer to the villa on a path that cuts through open fields. When I visited in mid-April, the fields were full of vibrant yellow buttercups and small purple flowers.

Close to the villa’s gates lies the small, picturesque Borgo Parigi which at one time housed the estate’s workers. After passing through the stone buildings of Borgo Parigi it is on to the villa itself, just across the road.

The “new” facade, from the 1600’s, was much more ornate than the original one

Villa Torrigiani sits in a park-like setting, surrounded by reflecting pools, broad lawns, trees, water features, and manicured gardens. The history of the villa is fascinating. The summer home of Lucca’s Buonvisi family in the 1500’s, it had a simple facade and was surrounded by vegetable gardens. When the Buonvisi fortunes changed (because the King of France failed to repay them money he owed) the villa had to be sold. Enter Marquis Nicolao Santini, the Ambassador from Lucca (at that time Lucca was an independent republic) to Versailles and the court of Louis XIV. Santini purchased the Villa in 1636 and began to rework the more simple Italian villa into a French style building and garden - a smaller version of Versailles. The facade was changed to the more elaborate style that we see today, complete with the columns, statues, arches, and a variety of colors.

This staircase leads down to the lower level garden and it hides a surprise - a narrow grotto passage full of mythical creatures. Don’t be afraid to enter!

The Marquis Santini also banished the vegetable gardens in favor of elegant reflecting pools surrounded by flower gardens and avenues of cypress trees. A stunning tiered staircase leading from the foot of a long pool down to a sunken garden, complete with a nymphaeum (the Ninfeo di Venti, middle photo below) at one end and a hidden grotto passage at the other, were also added. To create that French feel in the garden, the Marquis employed André Le Nötre, one of the designers of Versailles.

The villa landscape has continued to undergo changes, the biggest being a change in the 18th century to a more English style garden. Out went the flower beds around the reflecting pools and in came broad lawns, imported trees (including Magnolias, Cedars, and Camellias), and a wooded area. At some point the vineyards behind the house were also removed (though the old wine cellar remains).

The villa itself is also interesting. The ground floor is open for tours (arranged at the ticket booth just inside the entry gates). The tour guides provide wonderful historical perspective, plus with much of the information I’ve recounted here, along with family history of the occupants from the earliest Marquis to the present day owners. The glimpse inside the house is a chance to admire the still vibrant ceiling frescoes (look for camellias, a symbol of the family), the trompe l’oeil wall decorations, and many other artifacts on display.

The rear loggia of the Villa Torrigiani and the meeting place for tours of the home.

The villa is large but once past the ornate facade it has a very human scale. Perhaps that is because it remains to this day the summer home of descendants of the Santini-Torrigiani family. Family photos are scattered throughout, original fabrics adorn the beds, the dining table is set, there is even a dress worn by a previous occupant (1920’s style) on display in her bedroom. It is easy to imagine sitting on the back loggia with a book and a cup of tea, enjoying the birdsong, the breeze, and the history. Because this is still a family home (the family quarters are upstairs, tucked away from the visitors downstairs) photography is not permitted inside the villa. It was a challenge to keep my camera in my pocket and not to dash up the stairs to see the upper floors!

Just as it did for Lucca’s historic families, a visit to a villa outside of town provides a countryside experience different from that of the walled city. There are 6 historic villas to visit close to Lucca, Villa Torrigiani is a good place to start.

The villa is open from March through November. 10am - 1pm and 2:30 pm - 6 pm. Note that they may close earlier in bad weather.

Contact Info: Villa Torrigiani del Camigliano. Via del Gomberaio 3, Camigliano email: villacamigliano@gmail.com phone: +39 0583 928041 tickets available on site, 8€ for the garden only, 15€ garden plus villa

The family chapel on the grounds of the Villa Torrigiani

A Lucchese April

April can be a fickle month here in Lucca. After a few warm days in late March, the kind of days that almost trick you into packing away the winter sweaters, April barged in with colder days, wind, cloudy skies, and rain. The rain is much needed after a dry winter, so I won’t complain. And if the saying is true, and April showers really do bring May flowers, then Lucca should have a most colorful May.

This stand of white wisteria was an early bloomer this spring

Despite the early April chill, the days are growing longer, the first leaves have appeared on the trees, and the first blossoms throughout town hold the promise that warm spring weather will soon arrive.

Verde Mura is the perfect place to buy pots of herbs for the garden.

Perhaps the best harbinger of spring is the return, after a two year COVID-related pause, of Lucca’s spring garden festival - the Verde Mura. This wonderful event showcases all things needed to plant and tend a garden. It doesn’t matter if your garden is just a few pots on a terrace, a couple of window boxes, or a large orto (vegetable garden), the Verde Mura has what you need. The festival takes place up on the walls that surround Lucca’s centro storico (historic center) which means that the views are part of the fun.

Garden art at Verde Mura

Local gardeners pull wagons through the many booths, collecting everything from rose bushes to fruit trees to annual flowers and herbs. Need a tractor? Well, Verde Mura has just the one. Same with shovels, clay pots, bug sprays, fertilizer, seeds, and outdoor grills. In addition to these garden necessities, this is the place to find whimsical garden art, herbal products (soaps, teas, spices, syrups), fragrant spices, and a variety of crafts.

It is always fun to see traditional craftsmen at work; I especially love watching the basket weavers and broom makers.

Of course there was food (this is Italy after all). In addition to booths serving coffee and sweets there were plenty of vendors of local meats, cheeses, honey, pasta, and breads - most offering an assaggio (a taste). One booth had mounds of beautiful spring artichokes, bundles of aspargus, pretty Tropea onions and ripe strawberries from the south of Italy.

There was even the cutest little wine truck!

A break in the rain allowed for a slow morning wander through the many booths and displays of plants.

I came home with some herbs which are now happily planted in my window boxes as well as a colorful bouquet of ranunculi for my apartment.

I may have needed a warm coat, a scarf, and a hat against the chill but there was still a hint of spring in the air. I am looking forward to seeing the season unfold.