A walk in the park~
When traveling to Italy, our first order of business is to start the Gardens We Want to Visit list. Often times, this list gets started long before the plane tickets are purchased.
Cities and towns all across Italy have gardens to see and villas to tour. This is the perfect time of year to enjoy those gardens. The weather is pleasant, the throngs of summer tourists have all gone home, and the staff feels more inclined to answer questions and grant you access to the hidden sights that are off limits to the touring hoards. Most of these gardens are not flower gardens. I’d suggest going to England for those. These gardens are a green oasis from the everyday challenges of life–a calming and sometimes fanciful place to relax. Here are links to some of our favorite gardens and villas: Villa Cetinale, just outside of Siena: http://www.villacetinale.com/ Villa Lante in Bagnaia, just outside of Viterbo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_Lante Palazzo Farense, south of Viterbo: http://www.gardenvisit.com/garden/palazzo_farnese Il Parco dei Mostri (The Monster Park), north of Viterbo: http://www.parcodeimostri.com/ Villa Gamberaia, just east of Florence: http://www.villagamberaia.com/ Bellissimi!Mark
Beautiful!
Yes, the Palazzo Farnese in Caprarola in the province of Viterbo is pretty spectacular. Stupefacente–amazing, as the Italians would say. The Palazzo is pentagon-shaped with the interior being an open-air courtyard with a series of heavily frescoed loges on 3 different stories. The gardens and fountains extend up the hillside in a series of terraces behind the palazzo leading through the woods and up to the summer house shown in the photo above. Beyond the summer house is yet another fountain and garden with a large lawn and statuary. The palazzo is tucked away in this tiny town–truly a hidden gem in the Lazio countryside.Thanks for commenting~Ciao,Mark
Please, darling Mark, TAKE ME WITH YOU!!!!!!!!!!! (P.S. Hootie hoo!)
Any time you want to go with us–come on!