{"id":13366,"date":"2020-04-29T13:12:19","date_gmt":"2020-04-29T11:12:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/?p=13366\/"},"modified":"2020-04-30T16:45:11","modified_gmt":"2020-04-30T14:45:11","slug":"florence-secret-gardens-private-tours","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/en\/2020\/04\/29\/florence-secret-gardens-private-tours\/","title":{"rendered":"Florence Secret Gardens Private Tours"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong><i>Florence is an amazing city which can surprise you at every turn.<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong><i>This time, we will discover the secret gardens of Florence. They are the most unconventional gardens of the city. Our journey will take you to the secluded Corsi Annalena Garden and the romantic Torrigiani Garden in the neighborhood of Oltrarno; then we will venture to the intellectual Orti Oricellari and the Corsini al Prato Garden, in the neighborhood of Santa Maria Novella.<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Are you ready for your Florence secret gardens private tours?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong><i>Let\u2019s go!<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Corsi Annalena Garden: the secret garden of Florence<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"525\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-13370\" alt=\"Corsi Annalena Garden\" src=\"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/it.wikipedia.org_-300x225.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/it.wikipedia.org_-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/it.wikipedia.org_-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/it.wikipedia.org_-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/it.wikipedia.org_-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/it.wikipedia.org_.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Corsi Annalena Garden<em><br \/>\nCredits: Wikipedia.org<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can you imagine a half-hectare of verdant nature in the heart of Florence, completely hidden by the walls, and just a few steps from Pitti Palace?<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Corsi Annalena Garden<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is the shyest garden of Florence: nestled between Via de\u2019 Serragli, Via de\u2019 Mori and Via Romana, it is impossible to see it from outside.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Its history began in <\/span><b>1441<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, when <\/span><b>Countess Anna Elena<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> founded the Monastery of San Vincenzo. Anna Elena was the daughter of Count Galeotto Malatesta and the wife of Baccio d\u2019Anghiari, killed during a conspiracy masterminded by Cosimo the Elder of the Medici family. The widow decided to retire from public life and founded a cloistered order, named <\/span><b>Annalena<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The monastic plot was transformed during the XVI century by the <\/span><b>Grand Duke Cosimo Ist<\/b> <b>of the Medici<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. He built part the fortification walls during the war between Florence and Siena.&nbsp; The Grand Duke could move through an <\/span><b>underground passageway<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> connecting Boboli Garden, Torrigiani Garden and Annalena Garden. Traces of the passageway still exist nowadays.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 1790, the <\/span><b>Marquis Tommaso Corsi<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> purchased the plot. In the first decade of 1800s, he entrusted from the architect <\/span><b>Giuseppe Manetti<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the renovation of the garden. Manetti laid out the first English style <\/span><b>Landscape Garden<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of Florence in a very tiny space: he managed both to broaden the view in the small garden and to isolate it from the surrounding city buildings.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"350\" height=\"206\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-13372\" alt=\"Corsi Annalena Garden\" src=\"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/wikimapia.org_.png\"><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Corsi Annalena Garden<br \/>\n<em>Credits : www.wikimapia.org<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Corsi Annalena Garden features two main elements: a large elliptical <\/span><b>parterre<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> surrounded by a box hedge and the <\/span><b>terrace garden<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. In the 19th century, the terrace garden provided a bucolic view over Florentine hills and the countryside. The most astonishing feature of the Corsi Annalena Garden is the <\/span><b>ornamentation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: the Neoclassical statuary, the terracotta statues of the Muses,&nbsp; and the exedra-shaped bench in local sandstone \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">pietraserena<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d are elegant and graceful. A marble inscription is dedicated to friendship and bears the following words: \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The wise should subdue to the fate<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The plantings consist of laurel and viburnum; the trees are mostly cedars and magnolias.&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Between Via de\u2019 Mori and Via Romana, Giuseppe Manetti built in 1810 the \u201c<\/span><b>Tempio del Canto<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d: it is a Neoclassical temple with refined decoration, the god Mercury in a niche, the \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">genies<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201dholding a lyre and a laurel wreath, and the dancing maids.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Corsi Annalena Garden is a <\/span><b>contemplative garden<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for meditation and reflection, far from the worldy life,<\/span><b> the last Arcadian dream <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in Florence.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>Torrigiani Garden: the biggest private English style Landscape Garden of Florence<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"525\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-13376\" alt=\"Torrigiani Garden\" src=\"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/it.wikipedia.org-giardino-torrigiani-300x225.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/it.wikipedia.org-giardino-torrigiani-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/it.wikipedia.org-giardino-torrigiani-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/it.wikipedia.org-giardino-torrigiani-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/it.wikipedia.org-giardino-torrigiani-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/it.wikipedia.org-giardino-torrigiani-330x248.jpg 330w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/it.wikipedia.org-giardino-torrigiani-552x414.jpg 552w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/it.wikipedia.org-giardino-torrigiani-414x311.jpg 414w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/it.wikipedia.org-giardino-torrigiani.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Torrigiani Garden<em><br \/>\nCredits Wikipedia.org<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With its seven hectares, <\/span><b>Torrigiani Garden<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is the biggest private park of Florence and the biggest private park in the city center in whole Europe.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Situated between Via dei Serragli, Via del Campuccio and Via Gusciana, it was entrusted by the <\/span><b>Marquis Pietro Torrigiani<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from the architect and garden designer <\/span><b>Luigi de Cambray Digny<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in <\/span><b>1813<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as a <\/span><b>Landscape Garden<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both the marquis and the architect were members of the <\/span><b>Freemasonry<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The garden was laid out in the fashionable <\/span><b>English Landscape Garden style<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A <\/span><b>guided book<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the garden was written in 1824 (as in <\/span><b>Stowe<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, England, in 1730s). But the <\/span><b>symbolic Masonic garden circuit <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">was not clearly explained.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Torrigiani Garden features winding paths and sweeping lawns, gentle rolling artificial hills, groves and a collection of rare and exotic trees.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the entrance, the Egyptian god <\/span><b>Osiris <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">warns the visitor: \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dogs, horses, and carriages are not allowed. It is forbidden to touch plants, flowers, minerals. Games without previous permission are not allowed. It is mandatory to walk on the paths only<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The garden features a formal garden and a recently renovated 19<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">th<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> century \u201c<\/span><b>Limonaia<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d, the Italian word for orangery, and a <\/span><b>nursery<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><b>Serre Torrigiani<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> provides nowadays plants for shows and events in and outside Florence.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"385\" height=\"256\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-13378 size-full\" alt=\"giardino torrigiani\" src=\"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/giardino-torrigiani3.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/giardino-torrigiani3.jpg 385w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/giardino-torrigiani3-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/giardino-torrigiani3-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/giardino-torrigiani3-330x219.jpg 330w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 385px) 100vw, 385px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Giardino Torrigiani<br \/>\n<em>Credits: www.giardinotorrigiani.it<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Torrigiani Garden is embellished with statuary; some scultpures are reminescent of <\/span><b>Rousham<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, laid out by <\/span><b>William Kent<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in England. The \u201c<\/span><b>Tempietto dell\u2019Arcadia<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d is a mysterious shrine dedicated to the Arcadia, the symbol of pastoral life. A circular lawn is the oldest feature of the property: it was a kind of <\/span><b>hippodrome<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, now furnished with benches, pots and statues.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Follies<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are present in Torrigiani Garden as well: the Gymnasium, the Aviary, the Bridge on Ladon stream, the \u201cChinese Scale\u201d, and a Neo-Gothic Tower built by <\/span><b>Gaetano Baccani<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. It was used as a library and an astronomical observatory. Its shape should evoke the coat-of-arms of Torrigiani family.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some follies unfortunately have been lost, for example the outlandish <\/span><b>Merlin\u2019s Cave<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (<\/span><b>William Kent<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> built one Merlin\u2019s Cave for Queen Caroline at <\/span><b>Richmond Estate<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in 1730s).&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The symbolic garden circuit of the 19<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">th<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> century was dedicated to <\/span><b>alchemy<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, an <\/span><b>allegoric journey<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from the darkness of the death to the renaissance of the soul. It was called \u201c<\/span><b><i>nigredo<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d and it started with the Egyptian statue of <\/span><b>Osiris<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the god of death and resurrection. Then, the journey of the garden visitor proceeded through the dark forest, the \u201c<\/span><b><i>selva oscura<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d, as <\/span><b>Dante<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> wrote in the Middle Ages, to a mysterious grotto dedicated to the god <\/span><b>Saturn<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the deity of time and death. After this gloomy journey, the atmosphere changed in the garden: the visitor arrived to a bright and serene area. He was welcomed by the statues of <\/span><b>Asclepius<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the god of medicine, and his daughter <\/span><b>Hygieia<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the goddess of cleanliness. The journey finished at the octagonal <\/span><b>Neo-Gothic tower<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, according to the symbolic path of Freemasonry, \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ex tenebris lux<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d.&nbsp; The octagon was associated with the resurrection.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to legend, Marquis Pietro Torrigiani built the tower in order to better admire the Cemetery of Porte Sante, behind San Miniato al Monte Church, where his lover was buried.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other statues in Torrigiani garden include \u201c<\/span><b><i>Seneca with the young Pietro Torrigiani<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d, carved by <\/span><b>Pio Fedi, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;and a column dedicated to the famous botanist <\/span><b>Pier Antonio Micheli<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The garden is dotted with ancient cedar trees (<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cedrus Libani, Atlantica<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Deodora<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">), oaks, horse chestnuts, cypresses, magnolias, plane trees and a rare <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fagus Tricolor<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"385\" height=\"256\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-13381 size-full\" alt=\"Torrigiani Garden\" src=\"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/giardino-torrigiani.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/giardino-torrigiani.jpg 385w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/giardino-torrigiani-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/giardino-torrigiani-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/giardino-torrigiani-330x219.jpg 330w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 385px) 100vw, 385px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Torrigiani Garden<br \/>\n<em>Credits: www.giardinotorrigiani.it<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A lot of foreign Grand Tourists visited and praised Torrigiani Garden in the 19<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">th<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> century: the writer Nathaniel Hawthorne, Earl Larish from Austria, the art historian Lord Alexander Lindsay, the American painter John Singer Sargent, the writer and musician Caroline Sheridan Northon, Lady Charlotte Campbell,&nbsp; and Maryanne Chichester.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Orti Oricellari: the intellectual circle and the necromancy\u2019s parties<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"467\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-13388\" alt=\"Orti Oricellari florence\" src=\"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/exclusiveflorencetours.com_-300x200.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/exclusiveflorencetours.com_-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/exclusiveflorencetours.com_-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/exclusiveflorencetours.com_.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Orti Oricellari<em><br \/>\nCredits: www.exclusiveflorencetours.com<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>Orti Oricellari<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are situated between Via della Scala, Via Rucellai, Via Palazzuolo and Via degli Orti Oricellari.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The strange name \u201c<\/span><b>Oricellari<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d derives from the dyeing woad herb \u201c<\/span><b><i>oricella<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to legend,the merchant <\/span><b>Alemanno del Giunta<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> discovered the herb \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">oricella<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d in one of his journeys to the Far East. He was looking for a public toilet but he couldn\u2019t find it, so he hid in a grove. When the urine touched the grass, it turned it into purple! The magic herb was called \u201c<\/span><b><i>oricella<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d. Alemanno del Giunta carried the \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">oricella<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d herb to Florence and he set up a business: the clothes soaked in the herb and in the urine were dyed. Wealthy Florentines could wear <\/span><b>purple clothes<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">! Alemanno del Giunta became famous and moneyed: he changed his surname in <\/span><b>Oricellari<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (but it was a bit weird, because it remembered the urine), and then in <\/span><b>Rucellai<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (more elegant!). The herb gardens of \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">oricella<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d were situated along <\/span><b>Via degli Orti Oricellari<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, in Florence.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the Quattrocento, the Rucellai were one of the most powerful families of Florence. <\/span><b>Bernardo Rucellai <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">married Lucrezia, better known as <\/span><b>Nannina de\u2019 Medici<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the sister of Lorenzo the Magnificent.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After the death of the Magnificent in 1492, Bernardo and Nannina transferred the <\/span><b>Neoplatonic Academy<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from Careggi Medici Villa to their garden and they called it <\/span><b>Orti Oricellari<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, inspired by <\/span><b>ancient Roman Horti<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The Orti Oricellari became an <\/span><b>intellectual circle<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: <\/span><b>Niccol\u00f2 Macchiavelli<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Zanobi Buondelmonti, Jacopo da Diacceto, and Luigi Alamanni were frequent guests.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 1573, <\/span><b>Bianca Cappello<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the lover of Francesco Ist of the Medici, and later his wife and Grand Duchess of Tuscany, purchased the Orti Oricellari. She liked entertaining guests and she often organised <\/span><b>necromancy\u2019s parties<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: the writer Celio Malaspina described it in a novel. Harmless guests were invited at dinner, but they fell in a hidden dip! Thirty people dressed as demons were waiting for them in the dip. Bianca Cappello, in order to be forgiven by her guests, later offered them a stroll in company of beautiful naked girls, just covered by pearls, diamonds, sapphires and rubies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 1640, the property passed to <\/span><b>Cardinal Giovan Carlo de\u2019 Medici<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The Cardinal loved enjoying life and cultivating flowers: his favourite pastime was to give his lovers\u2019s names to the exotic flowers of the garden.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He entrusted an enchanting grotto from <\/span><b>Alfonso Parigi<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>Ferdinando Tacca<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The underground <\/span><b>grotto<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> was dedicated to the <\/span><b>four alchemical elements<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: the air, the water, the earth, the fire. It was embellished with limestone, sponges, and paintings. The fire was evoked in the Stove Room or Icarus Room, a <\/span><b>thermal bath <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">where Cardinal Giovan Carlo loved basking in. <\/span><b>Antonio Novelli<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a pupil of <\/span><b>Giambologna<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, sculpted a giant statue of <\/span><b>Polyphemus<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the son of Poseidon, god of the sea (the statue still exists).&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"272\" height=\"243\" class=\"wp-image-13389 aligncenter\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/e-burci-colosso-del-polifemo-1832-300x268.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/e-burci-colosso-del-polifemo-1832-300x268.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/e-burci-colosso-del-polifemo-1832-600x537.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/e-burci-colosso-del-polifemo-1832-768x687.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/e-burci-colosso-del-polifemo-1832-291x260.jpg 291w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/e-burci-colosso-del-polifemo-1832-859x768.jpg 859w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/e-burci-colosso-del-polifemo-1832-463x414.jpg 463w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/e-burci-colosso-del-polifemo-1832-414x370.jpg 414w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/e-burci-colosso-del-polifemo-1832.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 272px) 100vw, 272px\" \/><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"273\" height=\"229\" class=\"wp-image-13390 aligncenter\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/orti-oricellari--300x251.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/orti-oricellari--300x251.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/orti-oricellari--600x502.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/orti-oricellari--768x643.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/orti-oricellari--311x260.jpg 311w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/orti-oricellari--495x414.jpg 495w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/orti-oricellari--414x346.jpg 414w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/orti-oricellari-.jpg 827w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 273px) 100vw, 273px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>&nbsp;Credits:&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.hortibus.blogspot.com\/2014\/01\/jardins-disparus-de-florence-les-orti.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">www.hortibus.blogspot.com<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The grotto once more evoked the <\/span><b>initiation of the alchemical journey<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the \u201c<\/span><b><i>ex tenebris lux<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d, from the darkness of the soul to the light of the knowledge, in a symbolic path from the bowels of the earth to the infinity of the sky.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A frequent guest of Orti Oricellari was the famous painter <\/span><b>Salvator Rosa<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, friend of Cardinal Giovan Carlo de\u2019 Medici.&nbsp; Salvator Rosa painted the private thermal baths of Cardinal Giovan Carlo at <\/span><b>Pitti Palace<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Around 1820s, the Orti Oricellari were purchased by <\/span><b>Marquis Giuseppe Stiozzi Ridolfi<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. He entrusted from the architect <\/span><b>Luigi Cambray de Digny<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the renovation of the garden. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Try to guess<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">? They were both members of the <\/span><b>Freemasonry<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The garden was renovated in the fashionable <\/span><b>English Landscape Garden style<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, with winding paths, artificial mounds, S-shaped water features. Some <\/span><b>follies<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> adorned the garden as well: a Gothik Abbey dedicated to Saint Anne, a Venus Temple, the sham ruins of a Circus and the Pantheon (this last still exists).&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 1861, <\/span><b>Princes Orlov<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> bought the Orti Oricellari and entrusted from the architect <\/span><b>Giuseppe Poggi<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the renovation of the garden.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the end of 19<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">th<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> century, this mythical garden was unfortunately divided into two plots. The glory of the Orti Oricellari sorrowfully waned.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Corsini al Prato Garden: the geometry of aristocracy<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"467\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-13393\" alt=\"Corsini al Prato Garden Florence\" src=\"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/giardino-corsini-location-per-eventi-firenze-1-300x200.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/giardino-corsini-location-per-eventi-firenze-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/giardino-corsini-location-per-eventi-firenze-1-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/giardino-corsini-location-per-eventi-firenze-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/giardino-corsini-location-per-eventi-firenze-1-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/giardino-corsini-location-per-eventi-firenze-1-330x220.jpg 330w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/giardino-corsini-location-per-eventi-firenze-1-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/giardino-corsini-location-per-eventi-firenze-1-736x490.jpg 736w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/giardino-corsini-location-per-eventi-firenze-1-621x414.jpg 621w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/giardino-corsini-location-per-eventi-firenze-1-414x276.jpg 414w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/giardino-corsini-location-per-eventi-firenze-1.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Corsini al Prato Garden<em><br \/>\nCredits: www.giardinocorsini.it<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>Corsini al Prato Garden<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a hidden jewel in the heart of Florence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Located in Via Il Prato, it is just a few steps from Santa Maria Novella Church. One of the medieval gates of Florence, <\/span><b>Porta al Prato<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, lies close to the garden. The name \u201c<\/span><b><i>prato<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d means lawn. In the past, this area was used for jousts, shows, and horseracings.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before discovering the garden, it is essential to introduce the <\/span><b>Corsini family<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, an illustrious and ancient lineage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Corsini family is one of the most important aristocratic family of Florence. They counted a Saint and a Pope: <\/span><b>Saint Andrea Corsini<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, bishop of Fiesole from 1349 to 1373, and <\/span><b>Pope Clement XII<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> who founded the Capitolini Museums in Rome and entrusted the world-famous Fountain of Trevi.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Corsini family still exists nowadays: the three branches are scattered between Florence, London, Rome, Milan, Belgium, United States, Philippines, and Brazil. One branch of Corsini family is involved in <\/span><b>oil<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>wine<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> production in <\/span><b>Tuscany<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, at <\/span><b>Villa Le Corti<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in Chianti region and at <\/span><b>Tenuta Marsiliana<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in Maremma region.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"525\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-13398\" alt=\"Palazzo Corsini al Parione, Lungarno Corsini, Florence\" src=\"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_143923-scaled-300x225.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_143923-scaled-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_143923-scaled-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_143923-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_143923-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_143923-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_143923-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_143923-330x248.jpg 330w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_143923-1707x1280.jpg 1707w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_143923-552x414.jpg 552w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_143923-1280x960.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_143923-414x311.jpg 414w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Palazzo Corsini al Parione, Lungarno Corsini, Florence<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"525\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-13399\" alt=\"Palazzo Corsini al Parione, Lungarno Corsini, Florence\" src=\"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_145113-scaled-300x225.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_145113-scaled-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_145113-scaled-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_145113-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_145113-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Palazzo Corsini al Parione, Lungarno Corsini, Florence<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"525\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-13400\" alt=\"Palazzo Corsini al Parione, Lungarno Corsini, Florence\" src=\"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20180213_102905-scaled-300x225.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20180213_102905-scaled-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20180213_102905-scaled-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20180213_102905-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20180213_102905-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Palazzo Corsini al Parione, Lungarno Corsini, Florence<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Palazzo Corsini al Parione<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in Florence, along Arno River, was the main dwelling of Corsini family. It is the most prestigious Baroque building of the city, erected by <\/span><b>Alfonso Parigi the Younger<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>Ferdinando Tacca<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>Pierfrancesco<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>Gherardo Silvani<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the 17<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">th<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> century. The Palace is provided with a magnificent grotto and an impressive painting collection. Palazzo Corsini al Parione houses the internationally renowned&nbsp; \u201c<\/span><b>Biennale dell\u2019Antiquariato<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d, usually in September. This is a great opportunity to visit the palace in a majestic and unique allure.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"525\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-13401\" alt=\"The grotto at Palazzo Corsini al Parione\" src=\"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_151530-scaled-300x225.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_151530-scaled-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_151530-scaled-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_151530-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_151530-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_151530-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_151530-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_151530-330x248.jpg 330w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_151530-1707x1280.jpg 1707w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_151530-552x414.jpg 552w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_151530-1280x960.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_151530-414x311.jpg 414w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">The grotto at Palazzo Corsini al Parione<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"525\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-13402\" alt=\"Biennale dell\u2019Antiquariato, Palazzo Corsini al Parione, September 2019\" src=\"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_141541-scaled-300x225.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_141541-scaled-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_141541-scaled-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_141541-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_141541-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_141541-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_141541-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_141541-330x248.jpg 330w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_141541-1707x1280.jpg 1707w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_141541-552x414.jpg 552w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_141541-1280x960.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/20190926_141541-414x311.jpg 414w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Biennale dell\u2019Antiquariato, Palazzo Corsini al Parione, September 2019<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But\u2026 let\u2019s go back to the Corsini al Prato Garden.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Around 1591, <\/span><b>Alessandro Acciaiuoli<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> entrusted from <\/span><b>Bernardo Buontalenti<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the palace. Later, in 1621, <\/span><b>Filippo di Lorenzo Corsini <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">bought the palace and entrusted from <\/span><b>Gherardo Silvani<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the garden.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the 19<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">th<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> century, the garden was renovated in the fashionable <\/span><b>English Landscape Garden style<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by <\/span><b>Gaetano Baccani <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">for <\/span><b>Neri Corsini<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Marquis of Laiatico, and Eleonora Rinuccini.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The garden is impressive and it is one of the best preserved historical gardens of Florence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It features three dazzling \u201c<\/span><b>Limonaie<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d (orangeries) with the curious \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Poncirus trifoliata<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d; a geometric parterre with box hedges, flowers and aromatic plants; two English style groves (one was probably an ancient \u201c<\/span><b><i>ragnaia<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d, a system of nets for birds huntings); and the main axis, adorned with a collection of statues which funnel the view through the garden and increase the sense of depth.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The garden offers furthermore citrus fruits, a decorative cherry tree, and ancient lime trees. There is a bucolic vista opening over an orchard: this part of the garden evokes the bucolic countryside.This proves that the Corsini al Prato Garden was a coalesce of utilitarism and ornamentation.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The landscaper <\/span><b>Oliva di Collobiano<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> was the last who worked at Corsini al Prato garden in the 1980s for <\/span><b>Giorgiana Corsini<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: she laid out the Italian style parterres with pleasant pink peonies.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\">Florence Secret Gardens Private Tours<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Corsi Annalena Garden, Torrigiani Garden, Orti Oricellari and Corsini al Prato Garden are <\/span><b>private gardens<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is <\/span><b>necessary<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to check the availibility of the owner and arrange the visit in advance. <\/span><b>Feel free to contact me<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">; I will be glad to help you and to guide you through <\/span><b>the secret gardens of Florence<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">!<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Please contact me at: <\/span><a href=\"mailto:info@myfloraguide.com\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">info@myfloraguide.com<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Useful links:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.regione.toscana.it\/-\/giardino-corsi-o-d-annalena\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.regione.toscana.it\/-\/giardino-corsi-o-d-annalena<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.giardinotorrigiani.it\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.giardinotorrigiani.it\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.regione.toscana.it\/-\/orti-oricellari\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.regione.toscana.it\/-\/orti-oricellari<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/hortibus.blogspot.com\/2014\/01\/jardins-disparus-de-florence-les-orti.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">http:\/\/hortibus.blogspot.com\/2014\/01\/jardins-disparus-de-florence-les-orti.html<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/giardinocorsini.it\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/giardinocorsini.it\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">http:\/\/www.palazzocorsini.it\/<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/principecorsini.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/principecorsini.com\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Bibliography:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maresca P. \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Giardini di Firenze<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d (Angelo Pontecorboli Editore, Firenze, 2008).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maresca, Paola, \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Simboli e segreti nei giardini di Firenze<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d (Angelo Pontecorboli Editore, Firenze, 2008).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pozzana M. \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I giardini di Firenze e della Toscana<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d (Giunti Editore S.p.A., Firenze, 2011).<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>ALL PHOTO CREDITS GO TO THE OWNERS<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Florence is an amazing city which can surprise you at every turn. This time, we will discover the secret gardens of Florence. They are the most unconventional gardens of the city. Our journey will take you to the secluded Corsi Annalena Garden and the romantic Torrigiani Garden in the neighborhood of Oltrarno; then we will [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13367,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[75],"tags":[77,76],"class_list":["post-13366","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\/13366","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=13366"}],"version-history":[{"count":34,"href":"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13366\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13415,"href":"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13366\/revisions\/13415"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13367"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13366"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13366"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myfloraguide.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13366"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}