The Garden of Palazzo Pfanner

Garden spaces in Lucca are treasures. They are especially important for those of us who live in small apartments without outdoor space of our own. Public gardens, and private ones open to visitors, provide the opportunity to sit quietly on a bench, to enjoy the peaceful beauty of trees and flowers, or to just breath in and out, finding respite from a busy day. 

Even better if the garden sits behind a historic palazzo, surrounds a fountain spraying water high into the air, and offers views over the graceful arches of the limonaia onto Lucca’s walls above. 

The limonaia in the garden of Palazzo Pfanner

The garden of Palazzo Pfanner in Lucca is just such a spot. A private garden, it is open to visitors for a small fee. It has long been one of my favorite outdoor spaces, a perfect spot to read a book, daydream, relax, and enjoy the blooms that change from spring to summer to fall. It is also a wonderful spot to listen to a small concert or enjoy a variety of events that take place at the palazzo.

Last spring and summer the garden was closed for major renovations. It has now reopened, refreshed and ready for visitors once again.

The newly planted grass is edged with irises and rose bushes. In mid-May, the scent of roses filled the garden.

The highlight of the garden for me arrives in late May and early June when the Hydrangeas bloom. Their colors, ranging from white to pink to pale purple, all set off by bright green foliage, are stunning. They are one of the garden’s best offerings and I was happy to find that after last year’s work they remained undamaged and in place, lining walkways and walls and filling the garden with color.

Many other of the garden’s best offerings remain in their original places too – the stands of bamboo which create shady alleys and hidden corners, the towering Magnolia tree, the large terra cotta pots of lemon trees, the classic statues, and the old walls that surround the garden.

One nice change is the addition of QR codes to the plant identification markers. Click on the code for a link to information about the roses, hydrangeas, camellias, and magnolias.

Only one change left me a little sad. The run down, unrestored small brick barn area that once stored beer barrels (back when the palazzo was a beer garden) has been restored. The old brick walls have been plastered over and the area now houses a new bathroom and storage. I miss the look and history of the old rustic barn (old, left, and new on the right below). But that’s a small hiccup in this otherwise spectacular garden.

What a joy it was to once again sit in this garden! (I can’t resist a few more hydrangea photos)

Verde Mura Is Where Spring Gardens Begin

Some recurring events serve to mark time, shepherding in a new year or a new season.  One such event in Lucca is the annual spring garden show, Verde Mura. 

Each April, Verde Mura takes place atop the walls that surround Lucca.  Just about anything one wants for a garden – whether garden means a small herb patch, several long rows of vegetables, a bed full of flowers, or a small stand of fruit trees – is available.  

With garden art and assorted crafts on display, there is little need to look elsewhere for spring garden inspiration.

This year - surprise - there were chickens and one very loud rooster !

Readers of this blog may recognize scenes from Verde Mura because I’ve written about it in past years.   But the event always seems to bring something new, not to mention it really does mark the beginning of spring for me, and so each year I go, camera in hand, learning about everything from heirloom beans to new varieties of tulips and daffodils.  

Sadly, I don’t have space for a garden in my tiny Lucca apartment. I can sometimes manage a few potted herbs, but that’s about all.  Despite that, I always come home with at least a gorgeous bunch of flowers, some treats from the food vendors (this year delicious black pepper and almond taralli), and the joy of having spent a few hours on a spring morning up on Lucca’s walls immersed in the colors and scents of the Verde Mura. 

Brenta Canal Part Two: The Villa Pisani

The Villas along the Brenta Canal were built between the 16th and 18th century.  Some were built for agriculture and commerce but many as summer getaways for rich and powerful Venetians.  They lined the canal between Venice and the city of Padova, forming an extension of Venice that became known as the “Brenta Riviera”. 

A beautifully decorated hallway in Villa Pisani

The front entrance to Villa Pisani

The villas were designed to impress.  Their ornate trimmings, art filled halls, grand ballrooms, and sweeping gardens played host to Doges, Popes, Kings, Emperors, artists and wealthy merchants during the height of the Venetian Empire.   After the fall of Venice, in 1797, with the arrival of Napoleon, many of the villas changed hands, often due to the financial problems of the owners. 

Today some villas are in disrepair (imagine the costs of upkeep!), some are abandoned, some have been converted into museums, restaurants or hotels. Others are privately owned. A few of the most spectacular ones are open to the public.

The villas can easily be visited by car, but a more elegant (though much slower) way to tour the villas is to arrive by burchiello – a modern version of the historic boats that once moved people and goods along the canal. That is exactly what a group of friends and I did recently.  The boat trip from Padua to Venice took about 9 hours, with stops at 3 villas along the way.  The visits included a guide who shared the history of each villa, details about the art and architecture, and some good 16th – 18th century gossip about villa life.

The first villa on the itinerary was Villa Pisani.  Built to celebrate the election of Alvise Pisani as the 114th Doge of Venice, the villa is the crown jewel of the Brenta Riviera.  The Pisani family owned the villa until it was sold to Napoleon in 1808.  

The villa is remarkable in many ways.  First, its size.  The place is massive!  The 144 rooms are said to represent the number of Venetian Doges up to Pisani.  One room is filled with wall mounted sculptures of the head of each doge.  Look carefully on the wall to the right to find the likeness of Alvise Pisani.   

The Pisani’s must have loved to entertain, because their ballroom is nothing short of spectacular.  The room shimmers with gold trimmings.  High above is an ornate balcony which rings the room – a place for the musicians to play.  And the ceiling! The ceiling fresco is by Tiepolo and it is a marvel. The ballroom is the truly the elegant heart of the villa. Standing here you can almost hear the music playing and can imagine the finely clothed Venetians enjoy a luxurious party.

The visit to the villa includes the piano nobile where a series of rooms are filled with history.  There is the bedroom where King Vittorio Emanuele II slept (left below).  Next door, the room of his second wife, the Contessa di Mirafiori, with a reproduction of one of her dresses (right).

The room dedicated to music and the elegant sala di pranzo (dining room) face out onto the immaculate grounds and the stable (shown below at the end of the reflecting pool and looking very much like another villa).

Napoleon only spent one night here, but he left the villa in the hands of his stepson, Eugene de Beauharnais, Viceroy of Italy.  The Viceroy lived there with his wife, adding fireplaces for heating (most of the Brenta Villas were not heated as they were intended to be summer homes), and creating a chapel, a study and a games room.  The study is where a later historic meeting between Mussolini and Hitler took place prior to World War II.

A peak at the grounds outside the villa. I’ll need a return visit to explore the gardens!

The grounds are equally impressive.  The 30 acres contain a large reflecting pool, stables, an orangery, ice house, and a labyrinth.

Is it true that Napoleon got lost in the labyrinth?  It is said that he did but, to use the Italian phrase, chissà (who knows)?  

The only drawback to our guided visit is that we did not have any time in the gardens.  I will need to go back and wander those beautiful spaces.

Today the Villa and surrounding park is a National Museum.  

The Villa is open from 31 March to 30 September this year, 9 am – 8pm (last admission 1 hour before closing), closed on Mondays.  The labyrinth is currently closed for restoration.

 Coming soon – Part 3, Villa Widmann

 Website: villapisani.beniculturali.it

Email: info@museovillapisani.it

Cost €12 villa + park, €6 park only

Springtime In the Botanic Garden of Padova

The Orto Botanico (Botanic Garden) of Padova (Padua in English) dates back to the year 1545.  It was created on land owned by Benedictine monks, with the blessing of the Venetian Republic. The purpose for its creation was the study of medicinal herbs  - a pretty important study in times of plague and pestilence, long before the advent of antibiotics and vaccines.  The early botanists sought to identify those plants which promoted health and cured disease (as well as the dangerous ones that could harm). 

 The Orto Botanico continues to be a place of study, international collaboration, and research.  In 1997 it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its contribution to, in the words of UNESCO  “the sciences of botany, medicine, chemistry and pharmacy”.

In addition to being an important scientific site, it is also a place of great beauty.  The enclosed garden, overlooked by the domes of churches on both sides, sits just beyond the Basilica of St. Anthony.  Glimpses of church domes through the garden’s trees add to the enchantment of the setting.

The surrounding brick walls, topped with stone balustrades, enclose meandering paths edged with wild flowers, gated formal gardens, a small stream, a variety of trees, and several pretty fountains. 

Small buildings showcase carnivorous plants and one very ancient tree.  A much larger greenhouse is the center for the study of biodiversity (currently closed to visitors). 

 On the day I visited (in early April) the garden was blooming with spring flowers.  Wisteria, both purple and white varieties, clung to the brick walls.  The Irises were just beginning to bloom and the scent of lilacs was in the air. 

 The Orto Botanico is an oasis of color and fragrance in the middle of Padova. What a great way to spend a spring afternoon!

Varenna and Villa Monastero

A busy August day in Varenna

There is a lot to love about the town of Varenna on Lake Como’s eastern shore.  Smaller and less glamorous than nearby Bellagio, Varenna still has echoes of the simple fishing village it once was.  Quieter than some of the mid-lake towns, it is less crowded, has spectacular scenery and offers lots of opportunities to explore history, art, and nature. 

 Don’t get me wrong, there are still tourists here (especially in July and August) and the stretch of town along the small harbor can get busy.  But the crowds disappear just a few steps away from the harbor and after the last ferry leaves!

 I think of Varenna as having 3 parts.  To the north end of town, well above the lakefront, is the train station.  The ability to arrive by train is one of Varenna’s advantages, especially for those staying in town.  Most visitors arrive via ferry from one of the other lake towns and the ferry dock is also at the north end of town. I enjoyed my ferry ride from my base in Argegno across the lake to Varenna, there is just something special about those boat trips!

The Passegiata degli Innamorati, Varenna

 From the ferry dock, to the south, is the second part of town, the fishing village.  The two areas are connected by one of Lake Como’s best walks - the Passegiata degli Innamorati (the Lover’s Walk).  This passarella (walkway) is dramatic – a long pathway balanced right above the shore.  You will know it by its red railings and the big red heart at a viewpoint along the way.   Along the passarella are windswept trees, greenery, stone walls, flowers, villas, and big views.  You may even be serenaded by an accordion player as you pass by.

At the end of the walkway lies a tiny harbor full of small fishing boats and then the lakeside village.  This is the southwestern part of Varenna.  The village has nice shops, artisans, restaurants, cafes and some wonderful views over the lake.  It also has some of those typical Lake Como alleys, called contrade, with steep steps leading up to Varenna’s third part – the “upper village” and the town’s main piazza.

Rather than going straight up to the main piazza, I prefer to take a more circuitous walk.   By continuing south along the Riva Garibaldi and east along Contrade del Prestino you pass by the luxurious hotel Du Lac.  Once a villa, now turned into an elegant hotel, it has fantastic views from its terrace restaurant and bar.  Just past the hotel are more contrade leading up towards Piazza San Giorgio, the main square in Varenna, and the Villa Monastero. 

A good lunch spot along the way is the Bar Giardini, part of the Hotel Royal Victoria, reached by heading up Contrada della Fontana. Dining under the loggia, wisteria overhead, sipping a glass of wine (this is vacation after all) while gazing at the lake and the mountains beyond made for a quiet, peaceful, and elegant break in the middle of my day in Varenna.  Lunch here was a splurge but worth it!

Piazza San Georgio

In the upper village sits Varenna’s main square, the pretty and shady Piazza San Giorgio. Across from the piazza is the 14th century Chiesa di San Georgio with its tall bell tower.

 Continuing east (away from the waterfront) up Via IV Novembre is the Tourist Information Office, a good place to stop for a city map.  Further along was the main goal for my one day visit to Varenna - the Villa Monastero.  Visiting gardens, especially in Italy, is one of my favorite things to do.  I came across this one almost 30 years ago on my first trip to Italy. I was looking forward to a return visit.

Villa Monastero, Varenna

The villa, which began as a Cistercian Monastery in the 12th century, later became a private home.  The last owners donated it and today it is a public museum and botanical garden.  

The garden, which has evolved over more than a century, meanders for about a mile along the lake.  The plants, many quite unusual, have come from all over the world.  There are evergreen trees, giant cacti, palms, citrus trees, vines and flowers.  The combination of colors, sizes, forms and textures creates a truly special garden.

 The garden is more than just plants. It’s an architectural and artistic wonder as well.  The setting includes terraces, fountains, sculptures, ornately carved balustrades, ironwork, and breathtaking views. 

 I spent so much time in the garden that there wasn’t time to explore the villa museum.  That will call me back to Varenna on a future trip.

website: villamonastero.eu