Another exquisite example of private garden in Florence refers to the Torrigiani Gardens (Giardino Torrigiani), some say the most impressive private garden in the entire Europe. Subsequently to repeated enlargements and extensions, the Torrigiani Gardens managed to amount to some 4 hectares of surface covered with rare and not so rare species of plants and with numerous architectural, sculptural and pictorial works of art (though part of the heritage has been lost or removed during the various restoration works) displayed in an artfully conceived lay-out which dates back to the beginning of the 19th century. It is true the name of this garden is mentioned long before Pietro Torrigiani undertook the task of turning his property into an oasis of greenery and art, that is, in the 16th century and even earlier.

However, it is to this Pietro Torrigiani and to the landscape designer he assigned, Luigi Cambray Digny, in view of restoring and embellishing the garden in an English style, that the nowadays Giardino Torrigiani owes it current lay-out and heritage. The fact the garden used to have an important role in the development of naturalist and, more precisely, botanic studies in Florence is, indeed, of a particular interest for visitors interested in such fields of science, though most visitors are highly likely to find their attention and curiosity drawn by the many artistic items scattered, according to a very exact plan, throughout the garden, which impress by their alleged esoteric-shamanic and symbolic location, as it was decided by Pietro Torrigiani, and by the scenes and figures they depict, not to mention the grandness of the architectural wonders the garden is dotted with (summer houses, temples, grottos, a tower, and ossuary).

It is obviously the mind who conceived this combination of elements pertaining to the eastern spirituality and of motifs with prominent occurrence in the western culture was passionate enough as to express this proclivity by having a garden designed to shelter the project. Located south from the Arno River, the garden fills more than half of the surface delineated by Via del Campuccio, Via dei Serragli and Via Gusciana, only a few minutes from the monumental Boboli Gardens. Tourists should keep in mind access is only granted with guided tours and only by reservation, which means that if given the opportunity, they should not miss it for anything in the world.

Name:
Giardino Torrigiani
Address:
144 Via de Serragli, Florence
Telephone number:
0039 055 224 527
Fax:
0039 (0)55 229 662
Website:
www.giardinotorrigiani.it