Five of the Most Beautiful Gardens in Italy

You know we’ve got famous buildings, beautiful art and incredible food so you won't be surprised to learn that Italy also has some of the world's most spectacular and celebrated gardens. Whether you're a green thumb or you just need a green space to unwind, Stellavision has you covered with some of our favorite magical spots. (And if you’d like a hand stacking your itinerary with some gems nearby, we can help with that.) For now we’re focusing on smaller gardens and lesser known spots but let us know if you want to hear all about the country’s headliners too!

Giardino di Ninfa: Latina (near Rome)

© Photo by Marzia Giacobbe via VerdePassione

In a country with no shortage of dreamy locations, the Giardino di Ninfa may be the most idyllic of all. Once a bustling town of the Middle Ages, Ninfa became marshland, succumbing to the Pontine marshes near Rome. Decaying in the swamp, it was finally rescued as a garden in the 20th century. Nowadays Ninfa is an oasis of tranquillity! We recommend hanging back from the obligatory tour group and meandering alongside the crumbling medieval walls weighed down by climbing roses and clematis. The gardens have been carefully curated since the 1910s, and while the eager botanist will meet both local and foreign flora (more than 1,300 varieties!), the rest of us can just be swept away by the rushing water in near-impossible shades of blue.

Find it: Via Ninfina, 68, 04012 Cisterna di Latina LT (approx 80 minutes from Rome)

Best time to go: Spring! As the blooms are coming alive.

La Scarzuola: Umbria

If you are a fan of unique adventures, the esoteric or under-the-radar travel spots, La Scarzuola may be calling to you… Cradled in the Umbrian hills, La Scarzoula was a monastery said to be founded by St. Assisi. That was until the 1950s when a renowned Milanese architect called Tomaso Buzzi decided to buy the ruins and build his “la Città Ideale” – the Ideal City. First, he restored the monastery and then he converted the austere monkish gardens into a mythical landscape of lawns and statues. However, it is the Buzziana, the profane city, that is most jaw-dropping. This architectural oddity (or marvel depending on your point of view!), contains overlapping theaters leading toward a jumbled acropolis of temples and pyramids. A door shaped like a keyhole renders you the key. Buzzi's experimental vision of antique and neo-mannerist styles is a maze of Escher-esque staircases, oddly proportioned buildings and indecipherable spiritualist symbols, and is a must see for a surreal experience when visiting Umbria.

Find it: 05010 Montegabbione, Province of Terni

Best time to go: This one is magical year-round but only open weekends via pre-booked tickets. No access except by guided tour.

Giardini La Mortella: Ischia

Often called Italy's most beautiful garden, the Giardini La Mortella is a testimony to the passion of Argentine writer Lady Susana Walton. After purchasing property on the Island of Ischia in 1958, she was inspired to build a garden on an unpromising volcanic estate dubbed a "a quarry." For decades a private labor of love, the garden was opened to the public in 1991 and has been entrancing visitors ever since. The garden is split into two levels, one containing sub-tropical species and the other Mediterranean, and you will also discover a relaxing Japanese tea house. Classical music buffs may enjoy spotting the numerous tributes to Lady Walton's English composer husband, Sir William Walton, including the live performances that take place on site. Even if concertos aren't your thing, you'll want to search out William's Rock for the amazing views over the Garden and the Bay of Fonio. The tropical plants just feel right on the lush island of Ischia!

Find it: Via Francesco Calise Operaio Foriano, 45, 80075 Forio NA

Best time to go: Ischia is an island paradiso so we recommend planning to visit in summer, when you can enjoy the sea as well. Head to the garden at golden hour before they close for a particularly magical visit.

Bosco Sacro, Bomarzo: Viterbo (near Rome)

Bomarzo would be just another picturesque Italian commune between Rome and Florence were it not for the Bosco Sacro, known more evocatively as the Parco di Mostri (Park of Monsters - grrrr). It was commissioned in the 16th century by an Italian captain after the passing of his wife but his exact intention is unknown. One theory is that the park's strange layout and grotesque sculptures represent his grief at her death. Among the trees, you will find statues of gods, dragons and giant fruit but the most famous of the 'monsters' is the Orcus, a carved face with a gaping mouth. On the lips you will read the warning "OGNI PENSIERO VOLA" (all thoughts fly) and if you stand between the jaws and speak, your voice will be overheard much further away. A visit is essential for anyone who wants to follow in the footsteps of abstract artists like Salvador Dali, who led the campaign to rescue the Bosco Sacro from the undergrowth and obscurity.

Find it: Località Giardino, 01020 Bomarzo VT

Best time to go: We especially love Bomarzo in the fall, it’s the kind of forrested garden where walking around in a sweater just feel right, you know?

Giardini di Augusto: Capri

Capri needs no introduction. For millennia, it has been the preferred haunt of everyone from Roman Emperors to movie stars, and it's where some of history's wealthiest people built their mansions. Among them is the German industrialist Friedrich Alfred Krupp, who created a spectacular terraced garden with one of Italy's most iconic and instagrammed vistas. This incredible 180 degree overlook takes in Mount Solarno, the bay of Marina Piccola, and the island’s molto famoso Faraglioni rocks. It’s certainly worth the short walk from Capri's Piazzetta. Initially known by the name "Krupp Gardens'', it was quickly rebranded as the Gardens of Augustus - much vibier. However, Krupp's name lives on through the Via Krupp ‒ a zigzag cliff side pathway to the marina especially requested by Krupp to provide easier access to his yacht (nice life, right?)

Find it: Via Matteotti, 2, 80076 Capri NA

Best time to go: Summertime! A trip to Capri without a dip in the sea? C’mon.