Spring is the ideal season to visit the beautiful gardens of Italy. One to take note of, which is about to reopen for the season, is the Garden of Ninfa in Cisterna di Latina, near the walled hill town of Sermoneta, about 80 km south of Rome; it’s possible to plan it as a day trip from the Italian capital.
The Giardino di Ninfa is a ‘Natural Monument’ of the Lazio region, and The New York Times has described it as the most beautiful and romantic in the world. In 2005, it was awarded the title of ‘Most Beautiful Garden in Italy.’ No wonder it was a must-see stop on the Grand Tour of Italy, and has been a favorite destination of foreign artists and writers.
The Garden of Ninfa take its name from a classical Roman temple dedicated to the Nymphs, located on a small lake in the park. The Garden of Ninfa covers an area of 8 hectares, is crossed by a small river forming ponds and streams, and houses more than 1,300 plants, along with about 100 species of birds. It borders the towns of Norma, in the Province of Latina, and Sermoneta, famous for its castle.
It is a classic, English-style romantic garden, set in the area where the medieval town of Ninfa once stood; only ruins and some restored buildings remain. Its plants and its flowers grow and climb around the ruins of the medieval village. Among the plants and flowers that grow in the Garden of Ninfa are cherry trees and ornamental apple trees, blooming spectacularly in spring, as well as magnolias, marsh irises, birch trees and Japanese maples.
The Garden of Ninfa belongs to the Roffredo Caetani Foundation, from the name of the family who bought the village of Ninfa in 1298. The garden as we see it today was created by Gelasio Caetani in 1921. It can be visited from spring to fall; it’s open to the public only on certain dates and exclusively through guided tours, “in order to preserve its environmental balance,” as specified by the Caetani Foundation.
Below are dates for 2019:
April: 6, 7, 14, 21, 22, 25, 28.
May: 1, 4, 5, 12, 19, 26.
June: 1, 2, 16.
July: 6, 7, 21.
August: 3, 4, 15.
September: 7, 8.
October: 5, 6.
November: 3.
For more info: https://www.frcaetani.it/en/
