Gardens of the Renaissance - Italy

Gardens of the Renaissance - Italy

    The "Italian Renaissance garden" emerged in the late 15th century, Italy. Popular at the villas in Rome and Florence and inspired by classical ideals of order and beauty, these places were intended to please with their aesthetics and  to connect to the landscape beyond. Used for contemplation, and for the enjoyment of the sights, sounds and smells some of these wonders still exist to amaze us. In this article will be presented 4 of the most beautiful Italian gardens.

1. Boboli Gardens - Giardino di Boboli

    Located in Florence, the garden was first open to the public in 1766. The garden is consider to be one of the most important examples of the "Italian Garden" and since it was built, it has served as inspiration for many European courts. The main elements in this garden are the fountains and the artificial caves which are very specific for the renascence period.  Nowadays the garden is used as a open-air museum with statues of various styles and periods. Find more information about the garden here.

2. The gardens of Villa d'Este

    Villa d'Este is well-known for its gardens which are included in the UNESCO world heritage list. The water is the main element in this garden, with an extraordinary number of 51 fountains and nymphaeums, 398 spouts, 364 water jets, 64 waterfalls, and 220 basins, fed by 875 meters of canals, channels and cascades, and all working entirely by the force of gravity, without pumps. As Boboli gardens, the gardens of Villa d'Este  had a profound influence on the development of garden design throughout Europe and they are still considered to be among the most remarkable and comprehensive illustrations of Renaissance culture. More information about the garden can be found here. 

3. The gardens of Villa di Castello

    Located in the beautiful Tuscany, villa di Castello is well known for its gardens. Designed by Niccolò Tribolo in 1538, these are considered to have inspired the design of Boboli gardens.  The gardens were built both in a form of political theater but also as pleasure gardens and they were meant to show the strength and the wisdom of the owner, Cosimo I de' Medici. If curious to find more about the gardens, check here. 

4. The garden of Bomarzo

    Designed as a place of grief, this unique garden is situated in a wooded valley and it is populated by grotesque sculptures and small buildings located among the natural vegetation. Because of its special character, artists such as Salvador Dalí and Jean Cocteau have been inspired by this garden and used it into their works. Different from the symmetrical Italian garden, with an irregular layout, the garden was  originally built to astonish and to impress with its unicity. Find more information about the garden here.