Medieval Secret Gardens that You Can't Miss in Florence

Speaking of Florence, the cradle of renaissance, people will think of the magnificent Basilica of Saint Mary of the Flower (Santa Maria del Fiore), varieties of ancient bridges and dazzling museums. However, those who are interested in garden art will find that the time-honored capital truly combines culture with the perfect design. Wandering in the green, well-designed and nature-friendly gardens, you'll know how much effort the wise ancient garden designers made at every step.

Boboli Gardens (Giardino di Boboli)

Boboli Gardens, adjacent to the Pitti Palace, is a secret garden away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The Medici Family spent a large sum of money building the perfect renaissance garden. Boboli Gardens is symmetrically distributed in geometric shapes. Each statue there is lifelike. Every route with exquisite statues at the end has been delicately set up and shows the way to visitors. Legend has it that the garden was the private courtyard of the Medici Family, the noblest family in Florence. The family held a grand music party in the garden on every holiday. It was a pleasure for somebody to be invited to the party, watch the performance of royal musicians and taste the delicacies served by royal chefs.

Address: Piazza de' pitti, 1

Tickets: €6 per time

Ticket Package： €18 (valid for 5 days, a scenic spot per time)

Opening Hours:

Open: 8:30 a.m. (Monday to Friday)

Close: 4:30 p.m. (November to February, Monday to Friday) 5:30 p.m. (March to October, according to the sunset, Monday to Friday)

Notice: Many tourists might visit Uffizi Garden, the Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens in a row, given there is a ticket package for the three places. However, this trip is physically demanding. If you are running out of time and energy, you can pick out key spots in Boboli Gardens. There are 4 entries to the garden. Among them, the main Entrance A runs through the Pitti Palace's atrium; Entrance C rests at a corner of the Pitti Palace's facade; Entrance D is close to Porta Romana, an ancient city gate; Entrance B, next to Fortezza Belvedre, welcomes self-driving tourists for there is a small parking lot outside the entrance. During the COVID-19 pandemic, only the entiries of the Pitti Palace and Annalena are open now, and the Porcelain Museum remains closed.

Bardini Garden (Giardino Bardini)

The Bardini Garden, named after an art collector, is not far away from the east side of Boboli Gardens. It is small and beautifully designed. The entire garden presents perfect geometric patterns. It's located on a small hill with a panoramic view of the entire city. An ancient stone path there and the typical mountain garden fully show the features of Italian gardens on mountains. The Bardini Garden will showcase the greatest beauty when wisteria flowers are in full bloom in the early summer.

Address: Costa S.Giorgio, 2

Tickets: Visitors can also tour the Bardini Garden after purchasing the ticket to Boboli Gardens.

Opening Hours:

Open: 8:30 a.m. (Monday to Friday)

Close: 4:30 p.m. (November to February, Monday to Friday) 5:30 p.m. (March to October, according to the sunset, Monday to Friday)

Rose Garden (Giardino delle rose)

The Rose Garden was designed by Giuseppe Poggi, commissioned by the City of Florence. This amazing garden has various types of roses. Besides, it's next to the spacious Michelangelo Square, or Piazzale Michelangelo. If you come here for the natural beauty, then you can have a panoramic view of the entire city. While watching the wonderful scenery, you can record the moment by taking photos.

Address: Viale Giuseppe Poggi, 2

Tickets: Free

Opening Hours: Anytime

Iris Gardens (Giardino dell'Iris)

The city flower of Florence is the iris. Irises can be seen everywhere in this garden. Both ancient buildings and delicate crafts are emblazoned with a typical and allegoric iris logo. As the city flower, the iris naturally needs a themed garden to show its beauty in all forms. Vincent Willem van Gogh, a Dutch painter, once created a masterpiece named Irises, which is housed in the J. Paul Getty Museum in California, the U.S. The work is regarded as "one of Vincent Willem van Gogh's greatest work when he stayed at a psychiatric hospital in Saint-Remy, France". In Iris Gardens, you can see thousands of kinds of beautiful irises. The garden receives a large number of flower-lovers in every flower viewing season.

Address: Viale Michelangiolo, 82

Tickets: Free

Opening Hours: Blooming season from April 25 to May 20 every year

Monday to Friday：10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.；3:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Saturday to Sunday：10:00 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Please click on the following website to find the Chinese version of the complete Florence guidebook.

https://papermine.com/pub/experienceflorencechinese-7322/