{"id":13190,"date":"2020-04-24T10:16:35","date_gmt":"2020-04-24T08:16:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/?p=13190\/"},"modified":"2020-04-28T11:34:17","modified_gmt":"2020-04-28T09:34:17","slug":"public-parks-and-free-gardens-in-florence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/en\/2020\/04\/24\/public-parks-and-free-gardens-in-florence\/","title":{"rendered":"PUBLIC PARKS AND FREE GARDENS IN FLORENCE"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you have been in Florence, you have noticed that the city center is devoted to Renaissance architecture.  But\u2026 wait a moment. Where are the trees?
\nIf you have visited Rome, you can compare the two cities and you know that Rome seems to be a more verdant place than Florence.
\n<\/strong><\/em>Rome indeed is ringed by a girdle of trees, especially the classic Pinus pinea, the typical feature of the Roman skyline.
\n<\/strong><\/em>Florence is a green city too, surrounded by public parks and free-of-charge gardens, but you should walk away from the center.
\n<\/strong><\/em>Are you ready for the stroll?
\nLet’s discover with me the most beautiful public parks and free gardens in Florence!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Cascine Park (Parco delle Cascine)<\/b><\/h2>\n

Let’s start our journey in the best public parks and free gardens in Florence<\/strong>!<\/p>\n

The <\/span>Cascine Park<\/b> is the main public park of <\/span>Florence<\/b> and it stretches over 160 hectares.  If you are lazy, this is the perfect park for you: it takes 5 minutes from the center by tramway (Cascine stop). <\/span><\/p>\n

In <\/span>1563<\/b>, it was the hunting park of <\/span>Cosimo I de\u2019 Medici<\/b>, a farming place for livestock and a dairy. The term \u201c<\/span>cascio<\/span><\/i>\u201d (it remembers the Cacio cheese) gave the name to the park, <\/span>Cascine<\/span><\/i>. <\/span><\/p>\n

Between <\/span>1786<\/b> and <\/span>1790s<\/b>, the Grand Duke <\/span>Peter Leopold<\/b> and then the Grand Duke <\/span>Ferdinando III of Habsburg-Lorraines<\/b> entrusted <\/span>Giuseppe Manetti<\/b> to renovate the Cascine and to transform it in a grand ducal park, consacrated to the <\/span>public promenade<\/b>. <\/span><\/p>\n

The long, shaded avenues are a homage to the <\/span>English parks<\/b> and the <\/span>Mall.<\/b> The name \u201cmall\u201d derived from Italy: the \u201c<\/span>pallamaglio<\/span><\/i>\u201d (pall-mall) was a popular game played around 1600s in Naples, under the shadow of trees. After the match, people usually set up a market and sell their stuff. This is the historical origin of the Mall, the <\/span>shopping centers<\/b> of today. <\/span><\/p>\n

In the Cascine Park, the architect Manetti built the Royal Palazzina (the present-day seat of the Agrarian University Department), the ice-house, the ornamental peacock cages, and two fountains. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Cascine Park was inaugurated between the<\/span> 3<\/b>rd<\/b> and the 5<\/b>th<\/b> of July, 1791<\/b>, with splendid <\/span>fireworks<\/b>, spreading from an artificial mound, a reproduction of the Neapolitan \u201c<\/span>Vesuvius<\/b>\u201d. <\/span><\/p>\n

The buildings laid out by Giuseppe Manetti enclose a lot of symbolic and allegorical meanings.<\/span><\/p>\n

The ice-house is a Pyramid; the ornamental peacock cages are two Neoclassical temples; the two fountains are dedicated to Greek mythology and imbued with alchemical symbolism.<\/span><\/p>\n

The enigmatic Egyptian <\/span>Pyramid<\/b>, used as an ice-deposit, was associated with the <\/span>Freemasonry<\/b>. Pyramids represented the union between Earth and Heaven. They were frequently used in aristocratic private gardens in Italy and Europe between the 18<\/span>th<\/span> and 19<\/span>th<\/span> centuries in order to allude to the belonging of the Confraternity. Don\u2019t forget that in Florence there is a small museum dedicated to Freemasonry (Via dell\u2019Orto, 7) and, most importantly, the \u201c<\/span>Loggia Massonica<\/b>\u201d, the seat of Freemasonry (Palazzo Altoviti, known as Palazzo dei Visacci, Borgo Albizi, 18). Famous Tuscan Freemasons were the writer <\/span>Giosu\u00e8 Carducci<\/b> and the worldknown <\/span>Carlo Collodi<\/b>, the author of <\/span>Pinocchio<\/b>. The same Grand Duke Ferdinand III joined the Freemasons.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Cascine<\/p>\n

The \u201c<\/span>Pavoniere<\/b>\u201d, the ornamental peacock cages, were a typical feature of the Victorian age. Elegant and classy, they  derived from the painted <\/span>aviary<\/b> of ancient Roman time and the \u201c<\/span>ragnaie<\/i><\/b>\u201d (nets for birds) of Renaissance age. If you would like to glimpse them, don\u2019t forget your <\/span>swimsuit<\/b>: the \u201cPavoniere\u201d built by Giuseppe Manetti are nowadays situated in the most glamourus \u201c<\/span>piscine<\/i><\/b>\u201d, the <\/span>public swimming pools<\/b> of Florence. <\/span><\/p>\n

The two fountains were dedicated to <\/span>Narcissus<\/b> and <\/span>Pegasus<\/b>. If everybody knows the tragic history of the vain Narcissus and the heroic deeds of the winged horse Pegasus, few people probably know their connection with <\/span>alchemy<\/b>. <\/span><\/p>\n

Narcissus symbolises the descent to the underworld and the return to primordial waters; whereas the bright flight of Pegasus symbolises the victory of the light over the darkness and the matter. Narcissus and Pegasus are linked in the <\/span>alchemical journey of the initiates<\/b>. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Narcissus fountain inspired the English poet <\/span>Percy Bysshe Shelly<\/b>: he wrote the \u201c<\/span>Ode to the West Wind<\/span><\/i>\u201d in 1820. The Pegasus fountain unfortunately has been lost.<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, there is a touch of <\/span>eclecticism<\/b> more in the Cascine Park: if you venture further in the Park, you will find the \u201c<\/span>Monument to the Indian<\/b>\u201d, carved by the English sculptor <\/span>Charles Frances Fuller<\/b> in 1865-1874. The inscription is translated in Italian, English, Hindi and Punjabi. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Monument<\/p>\n

Rajaram Chuttraputti<\/b>, <\/span>Maharaja of Kolhapur<\/b>, died in a hotel room in Piazza Ognissanti in Florence in 1865, at only 20 years of age. The foreign community of Florence and the courtiers of the young Maharaja took care of the particular Brahmanic funeral: the cremation of the Maharaja took place in the Cascine Park, at the confluence of two rivers, the Arno and the Mugnone. This was believed to be an auspicious site for the cremation. And so, you know now the reason why a bridge in Florence is called \u201c<\/span>Ponte all\u2019Indiano<\/i><\/b>\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Horticulture Garden and Parnassus Horti (Giardino dell\u2019Orticultura e Orti del Parnaso)<\/b><\/h2>\n

The \u201c<\/span>Societ\u00e0 Toscana dell\u2019Orticultura<\/b>\u201d (Tuscan Society of Horticulture) was founded in <\/span>1854<\/b> with the purpose \u201c<\/span>to excite and promote the love and the taste for Horticulture in Italy through public exhibitions and prizes<\/span><\/i>\u201d. <\/span><\/p>\n

The plot was purchased between 1859 and 1876; the works started around 1879 with the wonderful \u201c<\/span>Tepidario<\/b>\u201d, the <\/span>glasshouse<\/b> erected by <\/span>Giacomo Roster<\/b> and carved out by <\/span>Michelucci factory<\/b> in Pistoia. It was the first glasshouse in Italy, dubbed the \u201cCrystal Palace\u201d of Florence. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"glasshouse<\/p>\n

The 1880s were the heyday of the Horticulture Garden: internationally renowned for its botanical exhibitions, shows and events, it was the main destination for botanist, horticulturists, gardeners, scholars and students in Florence, from every corner of the world. <\/span>In 1911, the architect <\/span>Giuseppe Castellucci <\/b>and the<\/span> Ceramic Factory <\/b>in<\/span> Signa<\/b> built the \u201c<\/span>Loggetta Bondi<\/b>\u201d in <\/span>Neo-Renaissance style<\/b>, paying homage to the \u201cLoggia del Pesce\u201d by Giorgio Vasari. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Loggetta<\/p>\n

The Horticulture Garden unfortunately was damaged during the wars and officially became a public garden in 1930.
\n<\/span>In 1990s, the restoration of the Horticulture Garden took place: the colourful \u201c<\/span>Serpente<\/b>\u201d (snake) was carved by <\/span>Marco Dezzi Bardeschi<\/b> on the rising terraces of the <\/span>Parnassus Horti<\/b>. The snake is the present-day <\/span>custodian of the garden<\/b>, as the ancient Ladon was the watchman of the mythologic <\/span>Garden of the Hesperides<\/b>. It also reminds of the myth of Apollo killing the dragon Python on Parnassus Mount. The Parnassus Horti are the evoking home of the <\/span>Muses<\/b>, a blooming, eternal <\/span>garden of the arts<\/b> and the <\/span>knowledge<\/b>. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Marco<\/p>\n

From Parnassus Horti, the <\/span>panorama<\/b> over Florence is stunning! This is one of the best spot where you can admire \u201c <\/span>i fochi<\/span><\/i>\u201d,  the <\/span>fireworks<\/b> on June 24<\/span>th<\/span>, for the feast of the patron saint of Florence, Saint John the Baptist.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nowadays, the Horticulture Garden knows <\/span>a new Renaissance<\/b>: the beloved \u201c<\/span>Mostra dell\u2019Orticultura<\/b>\u201d takes place in Spring (from April 25<\/span>th<\/span> to May 1<\/span>st<\/span>) and in Autumn (usually on the first week of October). It is the most important floral event in Florence, vividly cherished by the Florentines.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The <\/span>Tuscan Society of Horticulture <\/b>organizes <\/span>a wide range of courses<\/b>: botanical watercolours and illustrations, gardening, olive-tree pruning and roses pruning in partnership with <\/span>Rose Barni<\/b>, the most important roses-specialized nursery in Pistoia. <\/span><\/p>\n

Everybody is welcome!<\/b><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Roses Garden (Giardino delle Rose)<\/b><\/h2>\n

If you are looking for <\/span>flowers<\/b> and <\/span>panoramic views<\/b>, this is the ideal destination for you!<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>Roses Garden<\/b> is the <\/span>picture-perfect garden<\/b> in Florence, open all year round and close to the theatrical <\/span>Piazzale Michelangelo<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Founded in <\/span>1895<\/b> with the roses collection of Attilio Pucci, it boasts 350 variety of roses.<\/span><\/p>\n

Furthermore, it is scattered with the sculptures by <\/span>Jean Michel Folon<\/b> (1934 \u2013 2005), a na\u00eff Belgian artist. The most famous is without doubts \u201e<\/span>Partir<\/span><\/i>\u201c: a romantic suitcase which frames Florence\u2019s skyline. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you are looking for an Oriental corner in Florence, you will not be disappointed: the small, refined Japanese garden, called \u201e<\/span>Shorai Garden<\/b>\u201c,  celebrates the twinning between Florence and Ky\u014dto.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

It was laid out between 1998 and 2012 by the Japanese architect <\/span>Yasuo Kitayama<\/b>. It featured a cascade, rockery, stone lanterns and a small wooden Tea-House. The word \u201eShorai\u201c means both pine and future. The pine in Japanese culture is associated with the longevity. The Japanese onomatopoeia \u201e<\/span>sho-sho<\/span><\/i>\u201c gently evokes the rustle of the wind in the needles.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

But \u201e<\/span>Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose<\/i><\/b>\u201c, as Gertrude Stein wrote in 1913!<\/span><\/p>\n

The most celebrated flower in the garden of course is the <\/span>rose<\/b>. <\/span><\/p>\n

You will be surprised to know that Etruscans and Romans associated it with the mournful afterlife. <\/span><\/p>\n

The rose was the symbol of the goddess <\/span>Venus<\/b>: it was born with the deity, as <\/span>Sandro Botticelli<\/b> painted. But the pale pink rose turned into red in a mythological episode: when Venus tried to save his lover Adonis, running in the wood, she stang her foot on the flower. The divine blood turned the flower from the pale pink hue to the red colour. And here you are the red rose!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The rose was celebrated in the architecture as well: you just need to think about the rose windows of Gothic cathedrals, for example. The concentric <\/span>rose window<\/b> alluded to the cycle of life. In the Middle ages, the rose was extolled in the controversial \u2013 and erotic \u2013 novel, the French \u201e<\/span>Roman de la Rose<\/i><\/b>\u201c. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you suddenly desire to wear the scent of the rose, don\u2019t worry: the Anglo-Italian society of <\/span>L. Manetti & H. Roberts <\/b>was born in Florence between the 19th and the 20th century. The British chemist <\/span>Henry Roberts<\/b> moved to Florence in 19th century and opened its \u201eLaboratory\u201c on <\/span>Tornabuoni Street<\/b>, where he sold the \u201e<\/span>Acqua alle Rose<\/b>\u201c, the rose water. <\/span><\/p>\n

Alfred Houlston Morgan<\/b> inherited the \u201eLaboratory\u201c in 1879; the pharmacist <\/span>Lorenzo Manetti<\/b> became the main business partner in 1921. The factory was situated in Florence until 1983, when it became part of the Bolton Group, in Milan.<\/span><\/p>\n

Recently, the beautiful Italian actress <\/span>Martina Colombari<\/b> was filmed for the rose water\u2018s spot in the Roses Garden of Florence. (Did you see her skin?)<\/span><\/p>\n

You can find the popular \u201eAcqua alle Rose\u201c in every Italian supermarket. The price for the beauty isn\u2019t always expansive, sometimes it is for every pocket!<\/span><\/p>\n

But the scent of the garden, the dreamy view over Florence, and the breeze in the hair is free in all the above mentioned gardens.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

So\u2026 What are you waiting for?<\/span><\/p>\n

A lot of free-of-charge gardens, far from the beaten path, are silently waiting for you: the <\/span>Medici Villas<\/b> (<\/span>Castello, Petraia<\/b> and <\/span>Poggio a Caiano<\/b>), the <\/span>Iris Garden<\/b> close to Piazzale Michelangelo, and the <\/span>Bobolino Garden<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be confused: the grand <\/span>Boboli Garden<\/b> of Cosimo the Ist of the Medici and his wife Eleonora de Toledo is a museum with paid admission. <\/span><\/p>\n

But the <\/span>Bobolino Garden<\/b>, situated between Piazzale Galileo and Porta Romana, is free. <\/span><\/p>\n

Have you ever seen a <\/span>Calocedrus decurrens<\/i><\/b>? <\/span><\/p>\n

Better known as <\/span>Incense Cedar<\/b>, native to North-Western America, it an exotic and rare tree to see in Florence. <\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>newlyweds<\/b> know it very well: the picture under the Incense Cedar is the must-to-do tradition on the wedding day in Florence.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is probably the reason why rascal Florentines call it the \u201e<\/span>Cuckold Tree<\/i><\/b>\u201c.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/h2>\n

Garden Guided Tours in Florence<\/b><\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Are you deeply passionate for gardens? <\/span>Me too!<\/b><\/p>\n

Visit the online section dedicated to my <\/span>Garden Guided Tours<\/b><\/a> in Florence<\/strong> and contact me for your tailor-made <\/span>Garden Guided Tour<\/b>!<\/span><\/p>\n

Discover with me Boboli Garden and Bardini Garden<\/a> or Roses and Iris Garden<\/a> in Florence. <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I will be glad to show you the wonderful <\/span>public parks and free gardens in Florence!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Useful links:<\/b><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.lepavoniere.it\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.societatoscanaorticultura.it\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.firenzeturismo.it\/en\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.visittuscany.com\/en\/attractions\/the-rose-garden-inflorence\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.acquaallerose.it\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.musma.firenze.it\/home.html<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bibliography:<\/b><\/p>\n

Giannoni, Francesco, \u201c<\/span>Il Viale dei Colli di Firenze<\/span><\/i>\u201d (Florence Art Edizioni, Firenze, 2016).<\/span><\/p>\n

Maresca, Paola, \u201c<\/span>Giardini di Firenze<\/span><\/i>\u201d (Angelo Pontecorboli Editore, Firenze, 2011).<\/span><\/p>\n

Maresca, Paola, \u201c<\/span>Simboli e segreti nei giardini di Firenze<\/span><\/i>\u201d (Angelo Pontecorboli Editore, Firenze, 2008).<\/span><\/p>\n

Pozzana, Mariachiara, \u201c<\/span>I giardini di Firenze e della Toscana<\/span><\/i>\u201d (Giunti Editore S.p.A., Firenze, 2011).<\/span><\/p>\n

Rinaldi, Niccol\u00f2, \u201c<\/span>Secret Florence<\/span><\/i>\u201d (Jonglez Publishing, 2017).<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you have been in Florence, you have noticed that the city center is devoted to Renaissance architecture.  But\u2026 wait a moment. Where are the trees? If you have visited Rome, you can compare the two cities and you know that Rome seems to be a more verdant place than Florence. Rome indeed is ringed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13364,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[75],"tags":[77,76],"class_list":["post-13190","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gardens","tag-florence","tag-gardens"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13190","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13190"}],"version-history":[{"count":38,"href":"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13190\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13365,"href":"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13190\/revisions\/13365"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13364"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13190"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13190"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13190"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}