In the heart of Italy, among hills that tell ancient stories and breathtaking landscapes, Lazio reveals itself as one of the most fascinating regions to explore. Among its hidden gems stand out the gardens, true treasures of nature and history that enchant visitors with their timeless beauty, excellent destinations for a weekend trip. From Renaissance gardens to elegant Baroque parterres, every corner of this region offers a unique experience that promises to please both history and architecture enthusiasts and nature lovers. Let’s find out together the most beautiful gardens in Lazioplaces where time stops and beauty manifests itself in all its splendor.
Garden of Palazzo Colonna on the Quirinale Hill – Rome
The vast garden that opens up to the visitor upon exiting the Gallery bridge of Palazzo Colonna owes its current configuration to a series of renovation works promoted by the Colonna family starting from the 13th century. Originally, the entire area was dominated by the monumental remains of a majestic temple dating back to the 3rd century AD, known as Temple of the Sun.
Around 1710, Filippo II Colonna commissioned the architect Alessandro Specchi to build the bridges that connect the Palace to the garden, as well as an aedicule adorned with three significant statues: in the center that of Marcantonio Colonna, famous winner of the Battle of Lepanto, while on the sides are Fabrizio and Prospero Colonna. The garden is enriched by magnolias, box hedgesand impressive Italian hedges composed of laurel, pittosporum, holm oak and boxwood, as well as pots of pittosporum, succulents and boxwood.
Over the years, terraces were also built on the hill and an imposing nymphaeum with a suggestive water display was built, positioned in the center of the two stairways that lead to the upper part of the garden. The cost for the short itinerarywhich includes the free visit to the Galleria Apartments, the Pio pavilion and the gardens, costs €15.
Monster Park of Bomarzo – Viterbo
The Park of Monsters, also known as the Sacred Forest of Bomarzorepresents aunique work designed by architect Pirro Ligoriofamous for completing the St. Peter’s Basilica after Michelangelo’s death. Commissioned by Prince Pier Francesco Orsinithe park was intended to be a place where the prince could ease his sorrows over the death of his wife Giulia Farnese.
This park is truly unique, characterized by a “grove” extraordinary and eccentric enriched by sculptures that depict monsters, dragons, ambiguous mythological figures and exotic animals. Among its features we find a leaning house, a funerary temple, fountains and obelisks adorned with mottos and engraved inscriptions.
The Sacred Forest is therefore configured as a labyrinth of symbols that envelops anyone who physically or intellectually enters a surreal dimension, offering a unique and intriguing experience that mixes art, architecture and mythology in a suggestive and mysterious landscape context. The entrance price is €13.
Ruspoli Castle of Vignanello – Viterbo
In the heart of the Viterbo area, renowned for its extraordinary concentration of historic gardens, the Italian garden has reached its peak and Vignanello stands out as one of the most elegant, sophisticated and celebrated in the world.
This garden is renowned for its famous seventeenth-century parterre, a real one “vegetable sculpture” cwhich expresses the sharpness of an abstract geometric design. The harmony of the shapes and the precision of the geometries are superlative examples of the art of Italian gardens.
The entrance ticketat the cost of €15allows you to visit not only the garden but also the castle.
Villa D’Este – Tivoli (RM)
Villa d’Este represents an authentic masterpiece of Italian garden art and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Lazio. With its extraordinary concentration of fountains, nymphaeums, caves and water features, together with hydraulic music, this garden repeatedly influenced the design of Mannerist and Baroque gardens throughout Europe. Work of the architect Pirro Ligorio, the garden develops from the rear façade of the villa, embracing terraces and slopes with a cleverly articulated layout.
In addition to the sumptuous decorated fountains, an unmissable stop is a visit to the lower part of the garden: here there is a large square in the shape of a circular exedra, surrounded by majestic centuries-old cypress trees which rise imposingly towards the sky. These trees, perhaps among the oldest still in existence, give an atmosphere of ancient grandeur to the place.
The cost of the entrance ticket to visit this extraordinary garden is €15.
Garden of Ninfa – Cistern of Latina (LT)
Originally part of the territory known as Campagna e MarittimaNinfa was a small place that became part of the papal administration in the 8th century, thanks to its strategic position along the foothill road.
Ninfa suffered a serious blow in 1382, when it was looted and destroyed during the Great Schism by the antipope and his supporting troops. Also due to the malaria that afflicted the nearby plain, the city it was never rebuilt again. Over the next few centuries, the site remained abandoned until Marguerite Chapin, wife of Roffredo Caetani, introduced new species of shrubs and roses into the garden.
In the 1930s, Marguerite opened the doors of Ninfa to a circle of writers and artists linked to the literary magazines she founded. Her daughter Lelia, a sensitive woman and passionate about gardening, took care of the garden with care, harmonizing the colors and letting the plants grow naturally, without forced interventions and without the use of pollutants. Together with her mother, Lelia introduced numerous magnolias, prunus, climbing roses and created the rock garden, also known as “collar”.
In 1972, five years before his death, Lelia established the Roffredo Caetani Foundation to preserve Ninfa’s garden and protect the memory of the Caetani House.
Today, Ninfa continues to fascinate visitors with its “garden of delights”, a hortus conclusus surrounded by walls with a regular layout and fine varieties of citrus fruits. Entrance to the garden costs €15.75.
Landriana Gardens – Ardea (RM)
The proximity to the sea and the favorable microclimate resulting from it make the Landriana garden a unique green oasis, where they coexist plants from different parts of the worldeach with its own distinctive characteristics. Exploring the entire park takes about two hoursduring which visitors can discover a rich variety of settings and extraordinary plantsas:
- there Colletia paradoxawhose leaves resemble the shape of airplanes;
- The Orange garden and the Olive Garden, also known as the Garden of Perfumes;
- the famous Avenue of Ancient Roses:;
- The suggestive lotus flower pondwhich offers a moment of peace and serenity before continuing your exploration.
The Landriana gardens extend for over 10 hectares and represent a romantic place full of fascinating surprises. Initially designed by Russell Page, they were subsequently expanded and enriched by the owner, a botany enthusiast, with new collections of heathers, hydrangeas, ancient roses and camellias.
The cost of the entrance ticket is €10offering visitors the opportunity to immerse themselves in an extraordinary environment rich in botanical beauty.
Vacunae Rosae Rose Garden – Roccantica (RI)
In the heart of the suggestive Sabina, not far from the medieval village of Roccantica, is the Vacunae Rosae of the La Tacita estate, a unique garden hosting an extraordinary collection of over 5,000 varieties of roses. Designed as a path for the elevation of the spirit, it is considered one of the most important rose gardens in the world due to the diversity of the species present: here you can find roses from China and the Himalayas, the classic pink furies of the nineteenth century, splendid hybridizations of the twentieth century and the most recent creations of modern rose breeders.
They are distributed inside the garden nine fountains, placed on different levels and connected to each other by water channels. Each fountain is characterized by particular water features and illuminated with fiber opticscreating suggestive atmospheres during the nights in the garden.
Set in a natural area that resembles the shape of an angel’s wing, the Vacunae Rosae could also be defined as “The garden of the 5 senses”: here the enveloping scents of roses (the smell), the softness of the petals to the touch (the touch), the relaxing sound of the birds and flowing water (the hearing), the vivid colors of the roses (the sight) and the possibility of tasting traditional flavors make this place one exclusive location for private events and special celebrations.
Entrance costs €10.
Trisulti Charterhouse – Collepardo (FR)
Among the green woods that surround Mount Rotonaria, on the picturesque Ernici mountains, lies the Certosa di Trisulti in Collepardo, in the province of Frosinone, an enchanting place enriched by an Italian garden. Here, hedges and flowerbeds are adorned with rich floral arrangements, creating an environment of serenity and beauty.
The monastic complex also houses a pharmacy which faithfully represents the centuries-old tradition in the preparation of medicines, ointments and liqueurs, testifying to the wisdom and skill of the monks in the field of pharmacology.
Collepardo is famous for its wealth of spontaneous medicinal plants, so much so that it is known as “the land of herbs”. The “Orto del Centauro Chirone” Ecomuseum is located herewhich tells the legend according to which the centaur Chiron, teacher of Aesculapius, cured a serious wound using the herbs collected in this very land.
This garden was transformed in the eighteenth century into an enchanting place where orange and other citrus trees were planted. Today, due to his charm and the romantic atmosphere he evokes, he is often chosen for civil events and weddingsoffering an enchanting and historic setting.
