Glorious Italian gardens that should be on every green thumb’s itinerary

Here are some of our favourite gardens from across the Belpaese that are must-sees for green thumbs and nature lovers.

Castello di Pralormo, Piedmont

Situated in the heart of Piedmont, between Turin and Alba, is the Pralormo Castle, a medieval fortress dating back to the 13^th century.

In April, visitors can witness the magical blooming of 75,000 tulips and daffodils.

The event is celebrated every year with the Messer Tulipano festival, which brings the entire village of Pralormo together.

During the event, which continues until May 1, visitors can also discover a secret collection of natural bonsai and an aromatic herb garden in the shape of a heart.

Owners of the castle also open their home to tourists, transporting travellers from all over the world to medieval Italy.

Photo: ANSA

Giardini di Castel Trauttmansdorff, South Tyrol 

Castel Trauttmansdorff is home to more than 300,000 colourful flowers, including tulips, daffodils, buttercups, forget-me-nots and Iceland poppies.

Trees also abound in the gardens, from exotic camellias to Japanese cherry trees, beautiful rhododendrons and elegant peonies.

One of the most visited tourist destinations in South Tyrol, the gardens feature 80 dedicated displays of local, Mediterranean and exotic plants from around the world, organised by region of origin across 12 hectares.

With breathtaking views over the surrounding mountains, visitors can stroll along seven kilometres of paths, interspersed with staircases, pavilions, waterfalls and suspended lookout points.

Photo: ANSA

Giardino di Ninfa, Lazio

Located in Cisterna di Latina, around 80 kilometres south of Rome, the Garden of Ninfa makes for the perfect day trip from the Italian capital.

Described by The New York Times as the most beautiful and romantic garden in the world, the garden has long been a favourite destination of foreign artists and writers.

The garden is built on the ruins of an ancient Etruscan town, Ninfa – hence its name. 

After centuries of ruin, marshes and malaria, Ninfa was brought back to its original glory in the 20^th century. 

The garden spans an area of eight hectares, crossed by a small river forming ponds and streams, and is home to more than 1300 plants, along with around 100 species of birds.

May is the best month to visit, when roses of every colour cascade down the ruins like a rainbow waterfall.

Photo: iStock

Parco Giardino Sigurtà, Veneto

Spreading across more than 120 acres along the banks of the Mincio River, around 24 kilometres from Verona, Sigurtà is a garden park with 13 different sections.

Crowning a hilltop above the park, the towers of a ruined castle are framed by the garden’s promenades and landscapes.

From the colourful flower beds and manicured lawns to the herb garden and 18 ornamental ponds and lakes, Sigurtà includes nearly every feature found in an Italian garden, but often with a twist.

There is the expected maze and a grotto, but the box trees and shrubs are not carved into the traditional shapes found in the usual topiary garden.

Instead, they have been gently trimmed, but allowed to take on their own curious shapes.

The garden is perhaps best known for its display of tulips in the spring, when one million plants representing 300 different varieties burst into bloom.

Subsequent seasons beckon the blooming of irises, roses, lilies and asters.

A kilometre-long rose-lined walkway known as the Avenue of Roses is undoubtedly the most photographed section of the garden.

Photo: ANSA