In our final post in this series, here are two more of Tuscany's best and most beautiful gardens that make for wonderful places to relax and take a breather from the intense pace and tourist crowds that some people can experience.
First up is the Horti Leonini in the town of San Quirico d'Orcia, Siena. A late 16th century park, it was created according to the direction of Diomede Leoni (for whom it is named) with funding and the donation of lands by Francesco de' Medici. Built as part of a scheme of renovation in the town after damages caused during wars between Siena and Florence, it is an oasis of beauty. Wonderfully well-preserved, the gardens have maintained their original appearance and provide a perfect example of an Italian style garden.
First up is the Horti Leonini in the town of San Quirico d'Orcia, Siena. A late 16th century park, it was created according to the direction of Diomede Leoni (for whom it is named) with funding and the donation of lands by Francesco de' Medici. Built as part of a scheme of renovation in the town after damages caused during wars between Siena and Florence, it is an oasis of beauty. Wonderfully well-preserved, the gardens have maintained their original appearance and provide a perfect example of an Italian style garden.
It is made up of a natural wood and manmade, manicure gardens. The thicket of centuries-old holm-oaks are connected by a staircase to the second part of the gardens that is a rhomboid in shape and inside which there is a hexagonal shaped Italian garden of triangular flowerbeds, surrounded by a double box hedge and sliced through by pathways meeting at the centre. Statues are dotted through the gardens, following an elaborate scheme of references and metaphors by Leoni. In 1975, the garden was acquired by the town and is now open to the public and free to visit. Just find a luxury villa in Siena and explore it for yourself.
The Orto Botanico di Pisa, or Botanical Gardens of Pisa, meanwhile, is one of the city's less well-known sights to tourists but is also very much worth a visit. Situated in the centre of Pisa, just minutes from the Leaning Tower, it is the oldest botanic garden in Italy and Europe and among the oldest in the entire world.
The Orto Botanico di Pisa, or Botanical Gardens of Pisa, meanwhile, is one of the city's less well-known sights to tourists but is also very much worth a visit. Situated in the centre of Pisa, just minutes from the Leaning Tower, it is the oldest botanic garden in Italy and Europe and among the oldest in the entire world.
Founded in 1543 by the famous Pisan physician and botanist, Luca Ghini, and established with the construction of a medicinal herb garden, for Cosimo I de' Medici, it was where plants with medicinal properties were housed and studied. In the nineteenth century greenhouses, tepidaria and a building to house the botanical department were built, as it is part of the University of Pisa. It continues to have an enduring and very important educational role. Highlights today include exotic and aquatic plants, the Pharaonic collection of plants from Egypt and examples from the tombs of Pharaohs, the arboretum and the greenhouse dedicated entirely to succulents. If you are interested in plants themselves, as much as pretty garden design, then this garden is a must, just find a luxury villa in Pisa.
For those looking to spend some of their city break in Tuscany outdoors, these gardens make for the perfect attractions.
For those looking to spend some of their city break in Tuscany outdoors, these gardens make for the perfect attractions.
Photo credits
picture 2: Daderot / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 3: Laurentius / CC BY-SA 3.0
picture 2: Daderot / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 3: Laurentius / CC BY-SA 3.0
