In May 1809 Naples opened on Via Foria "a Royal Garden of plants for the education of the public and to multiply the spices useful to health, agriculture and industry". The Botanical Garden of Naples is now managed by the University Federico II and is the second in Italy, after that of Padua, for groups of exotic plants: twenty-five thousand plants of nine thousand species combined. CAMPANIA BOTANIC GARDEN OF NAPLES By CARLA DE AGOSTINI On May 18th 1809, a 'Royal Botanical Garden for the education of the public and for the multiplication of spices useful to health, agriculture and industry' opened in Naples on Via Foria. The decree by which Joseph Bonaparte established it in 1807 concisely expresses the educational, medical, economic and productive aims of the new place. The foundations on which the Parthenopean kitchen garden is based will immediately distinguish it for the multiplicity of its functions and for its diversified plant heritage. Today it is managed by the Federico II University and is the second largest in Italy, after Padua, for exotic plant groups: twenty-five thousand plants of nine thousand species combined. After being devastated by Allied troops during the Second World War, the garden was reborn in 1948 with the construction of new greenhouses, the modernisation of the water supply and the increase in the collections of Cycadales, succulents and ferns. At the time of its foundation, the city of Naples was dominated by the French, and it immediately became one of the most prestigious scientific institutions of southern Italy. The first director was the Italian botanist Michele Tenore and it was he who, in a career spanning almost fifty years from 1808 to 1860, scientifically organised the garden and promoted its innovative botanical concept to Europe's leading botanical institutions. The initial importance of research was soon complemented by the social importance of architect Vincenzo Paoletti's decision to enhance the landscape by creating a "public promenade" for visitors, with wide tree-lined avenues and pleasant paths through the greenery. This choice has continued to the present day, with free access to the vegetable garden to allow everyone, from children to the elderly, to enjoy a place of such great interest all year round. The garden now boasts a Filiceto, a Palm Grove, a Desert area and a collection of Cycadales of considerable importance. In the Filiceto, located in a hollow, the conditions of shade and humidity necessary for growing ferns are reproduced. From the Latin fĭlix, the Filiceto is surrounded by a belt of trees that protects the area from excessive sunlight, while streams and an artificial pond, together with abundant and frequent watering, maintain the ideal microclimate. From here, where water reserves are plentiful, an ecological itinerary begins, illustrating the importance of water in biodiversity, and ends in the desert, where water resources are scarce. In the collection of succulent plants of the Desert, arranged on sandy soil to prevent stagnation and with some specimens covered in winter, there are remarkable specimens of mammilaria, notocactus, Wilcoxia Viperina, Opuntia and American Agave. The primitive world of the Cycadales holds the record for the oldest seeded plants alive today, and the Botanical Garden has one of the most important collections of these in the world, both in terms of the number of species and genera, so much so that some of the genus Dion are grown only in Naples. Also of note here is the Cycas revoluta donated in 1813 by Maria Carolina Bonaparte, consort of the King of Naples Joachim Murat, in gratitude for the Terrazza Carolina, a structure of the garden that has now disappeared. At present, the plant, which is almost 200 years old, has reached a remarkable height of about 5 metres. Cycas revoluta is the only species of the Cycadaceae family that has had great success as an ornamental plant; it is widely found in parks and gardens in mild climate regions. The common name Cycas is not a diminutive but is linked to its similarity to palms: it derives from koykas, a word of Greek origin used to indicate an unidentified palm. The garden also includes a citrus grove, the Chalet, an area designed for the visually impaired, and the Serra Merola, which recreates tropical rainforests and the coastal ecosystem of Mexican mangroves. The most recently established area is dedicated to the plants of the Bible, hosting some of the species mentioned in the most significant episodes of the Old and New Testament, such as myrrh or olive trees. The area reserved for Magnoliophyta is still under construction and will show the evolution of flowering plants, in line with the most recent discoveries in Systematic Botany. A visit to the Parthenopean garden represents not only an opportunity to learn about and explore the world of botany but also a unique opportunity to enjoy an unexpectedly calm, unique and original Naples just a few steps from the busy Via Foria. Translation Greta Arancia Sanna GALLERY Info: Official website Magnolia Photo ©CRISTINA ARCHINTO more botanical gardens and nurseries Orto Botanico di Zurigo e la Serra Malgascia Giardino Botanico Nuova Gussonea Orto Botanico di Catania Orto Botanico di Ginevra Centro Botanico Moutan Orto Botanico di Palermo Roseto di Roma Chicago Batanical Garden

Today the Hanbury Gardens are not only of scientific interest and a feast for the eyes, but they also offer a unique insight into the history of botanical studies. The current collections are a reflection of the succession of the individual curators, the ties formed with botanical gardens around the LIGURIA VENTIMIGLIA HANBURY BOTANICAL GARDENS BY ALESSANDRA VALENTINELLI Today the Hanbury Gardens are not only of scientific interest and a feast for the eyes, but they also offer a unique insight into the history of botanical studies. The current collections are a reflection of the succession of the individual curators, the ties formed with botanical gardens around the world, and the thoughtfulness of the owners, which developed over the long years spent in La Mortola. For these reasons the different blooming calendars embrace the alternating of months and explain the succession of “cultural periods” relating to the acquisition of the collections. The Hanbury Gardens first started as a nursery for the acclimation of exotic plants. The gardens still retain their original purpose amid its century old specimens that are an integral part of the plant collection: the Pinus canariensis, the Araucaria from Queensland, the Casimiroa and its edible fruits, were all imported between 1868 and 1872. These stand witness to the pharmacopoeia studies conducted by Sir Thomas's brother, the botanist Daniel Hanbury. When taking a walk around the Palace, one actually walks through a living record of the voyages, the memories and the relationships the Hanbury weaved with all corners of the Earth: the pomegranate tree that lined the loggia, the Banksia that Sir Thomas brought back from China, the Samuela, a Mexican desert Yucca variety discovered in 1900 by William Trelease, and the Cupressus lusitanica donated by Gustave Thuret, the director of the Jardin des Plantes of Antibes in 1869. In 1912 this tree measured 16 metres in height and had a 1.7 metres circumference. It now tops 25 metres and has a diameter of 5 metres. The same can be said of the "Topia", the pergola that adorned Marquis Orengo’s gardens, side by side to where wisterias, clematis, bignonias and thunbergias, the Semele from the Canary Islands, the Homalocladium from the Solomon Islands, and the Vietnamese Tetrastigma thrive. Behind the Palace lies the steeper part of the gardens. Here, one can find the most faithful blueprint of the project mapped out by Ludwig Winter according to Sir Thomas Hanbury’s wishes. One of the reasons was the building constraints of the irrigation system and the consolidation of walls made right after the purchase of the estate, in order to outfit the old terrace formations. Walking eastbound one finds the succulent slope. Here the African aloes planted by Kurt Dinter are predominant. Later Alwin Berger populated it with many American cacti varieties. Three hundred and twenty five species of Aloe: the columnar A.principis, the creeping A.mitriformis, the lithe A.striatula, the pink blanketing of the Drosanthemum, and over one hundred varieties of agave and cacti, among which are the Yucca elephantipes and australis, the deep carmine colours of the Schotia brachypetala and the the Beaucarnea stricta and recurvata. Whereas, walking westbound one reaches the "Grande Route", that was designed by Winter and was also accessible by cars. The palm grove is visible upon arrival, but so are the rarest species personally handpicked by the Hanburys: the Musa paradisiacal maurelii and cavendishi banana trees, native to tropical Africa; the Brahea dulcis and armata palms trees; the Microcitrus, an Australian wild citrus variety; the Chiranthodendron pentadactylon discovered in the mid-nineteenth century in Guatemala; the Ginkgo biloba that back then could only be obtained from inland China; the Chicas revoluta and the Macrozamia, two family varieties that date back to the Mesozoic Era; the Saharan Ephedra altissima and the Chilean Quillaja saponaria evergreen. The diverse variety of plants, which adapted differently to the local climate and that were planted in close proximity, resulted in a blooming season that lasted year round. This display is still visible today, with the turning of the seasons, and may be viewed at all times on the terraced slopes adjacent to the villa by simply letting the eye wander along the subtropical plants of the "Four Seasons Garden", which bloom from winter to late summer, or the “Japanese Garden” that harbours irises, daffodils and plum trees, or from the roses and peonies expanse, up to the pathway that heads to the villa, lined with the aromatic plants: sage, thyme, lavender and marjoram, and also the fragrant scent of wintersweet, of jasmine, honeysuckle and bitter orange trees. South of the villa, next to the garden paths that originally lead to the Gardens and the “Vista Nuova”, the panoramic entrance inaugurated by Lady Dorothy Hanbury in 1920, is the Australian Forest with its Eucalyptus citriodora and sideroxylon, the Melaleuca preissiana and cuticularis, and the Sterculiaceae Brachychiton discolour. The Meadow lies just across from the Iulia Augusta Roman Road, which cuts across the garden from east to west. In the letters written by Sir Thomas to his wife Katharine, he describes it as a wilderness, a scrubland expanse. At the very centre is the centuries-old olive grove that belonged to the Orengo Family. In the lower half of the Meadow one can see the displays brought about by Lady Dorothy, all commissioned after the disappearance of her in-laws. With the help of Sir Cecil Hanbury, husband and heir to the estate, of her father John Frederic Symons-Jeune, and of her brother Bertram Hanmer Bunbury Symons-Jeune, the former a landscape architect whilst the latter a nurseryman specialized in rock gardens, the Meadow is embellished by ancient cultivars: citrus shrubs and exotic fruits trees native to the valleys of Liguria. Adjacent to the “Viale degli Ulivi” (the Olive Path), which leads to the coast, are lemons, grapefruit, tangerines, clementines and countless varieties of Citrus: citrons, myrtle-leaved oranges, bergamots and sweet and bitter oranges. On the eastern slope, one finds cultivations of South American and New Zealander fruit trees, Chinese quinces, peach and loquats, or Japanese medlars, local mountain ashes, hazelnuts, jujube and pistachio varieties. Finally, near the coastline, scattered among the pines, is the rockrose and the sage field. One can also admire the Acacia karroo with its large thorns and a young male tree of Olmediella betschleriana native of Mexico. The only other specimen of this tree present in the whole of the European continent is a female one. It can be found in the Naples Botanical Garden. In 1960, following the aftermath of WWII and the destruction caused by the opposing French and German fronts, Dorothy sold the Gardens to the Italian government. The Italian government placed them under the historical building and landscape Protection Act. In 1983, the University of Genoa took charge of the estate and in the year 2000 it became a “Protected Marine Area”. Today with 2,500 taxa, a mixture of old and new plants, the Department of Botany also manages a Germplasm or Seed Bank for the conservation of endemic biodiversity, the latter being at risk in the Ligurian Alps. An on-going project is the Herbaria, established by the original gardeners and curators. This brings us full circle, linking the Hanburys’ dreams and hopes for a brighter future in today’s botanical studies and all researches to come. Photo © CRISTINA ARCHINTO Info: www.giardinihanbury.com More botanical gardens and nurseries Orto Botanico di Ginevra Orto Botanico di Ginevra Centro Botanico Moutan Orto Botanico di Palermo Roseto di Roma Chicago Batanical Garden Giardino Esotico Pallanca Parco Botanico Villa Rocca

The gardens of Villa Lante in the province of Viterbo are characterized by the presence of water features, waterfalls and fountains immersed in nature. LAZIO VILLA LANTE By EMANUELA GNECCO Villa Lante is not just a garden but an ecosystem. Among the historic residences and castles in the area around the city of Viterbo, this villa best represents the modern conception of the relationship between architecture and environment, artifice and nature, flora, sculptures and water. This is evident in a fresco in the Gambara loggia which harmoniously blends the geometry of pools and paths, as well as terraces and fountains, with an ancient woodland setting, orchards and vineyards. Villa Lante perfectly interprets the Mannerist phase of the Italian Renaissance. Its rigor and rational organization, its details and symbolisms are astonishing and connect to the surrounding natural landscape Water is the absolute protagonist. It is channeled through a complex hydraulic system: from the Cimini Mountains it follows an initially turbulent course before leaping down like a torrent and finally flowing in the "parterre d'eau". Villa Lante is located in the town of Bagnaia, a few kilometres from Viterbo, and was built in the sixteenth century on an ancient hunting reserve or 'barco'. Gian Francesco Gambara, the town’s bishop, and his successor Alessandro Montalto, dedicated themselves to the construction of Villa Lante, one of the most famous examples of Italian gardens in the world. Cardinal Gambara, who had a very modern taste for outdoor living, is believed to have called in one of the greatest architects of the time, Jacopo Barozzi, known as 'Il Vignola', who designed two perfectly mirrored buildings with essential lines in typical Mannerist style. They are decorated with frescoes inside to celebrate the symbols and devotions of the two ecclesiastical patrons and to praise their virtues and power. One hundred years later the villa passed to Duke Ippolito Lante della Rovere, who gave it his own name, and was later acquired by the Italian state in 1970. The gardens are the pride and joy of Villa Lante. They cover an area of 22 hectares and include a woodland made of oaks, maples, hornbeams, laurels and holm oaks. The formal garden is bordered by a boundary wall and is enriched with water features, waterfalls and dripping grottoes. The architectures are influenced by the Vatican’s Belvedere and Villa d'Este in Tivoli inspired the waterworks: it was in fact the same architect and hydraulic engineer Tommaso Ghinucci da Siena who created both of the water systems. The garden has sixteen meters of elevation gain and is divided into three distinct levels connected by fountains and staircases. They symbolically represent the story of humanity's descent from the golden age, as narrated by Ovid in his Metamorphoses. The four natural elements, earth, air, fire and water, are represented by the lively outlines of the peperino sculptures, of the obelisks and of the columns which decorate the magnificent fountains. In the lower parterre the great fountain "dei Mori" by Gianbologna constitutes the final act of the symbolic itinerary: the triumph of the human mind over nature, represented by water that finally manages to find its static geometric form. Emanuela Gnecco The sixteen meters of altitude difference are divided into three distinct floors connected by fountains and stairways, symbolically representing the story of the descent of humanity from the golden age, as narrated by Ovid in the Metamorphoses. The agile forms of the peperino sculptures, obelisks and columns that decorate the magnificent fountains are present to symbolize the four natural elements: earth, air, fire and water. In the lower parterre, the large “dei Mori” fountain by Gianbologna which constitutes the final act of the symbolic journey: the triumph of the human mind over nature represented by water which finally manages to find its stillness in a geometric form. Emanuela Gnecco GALLERY Photo ©CRISTINA ARCHINTO LINK Official website TREE WATCHING More Gardens and Parks Bomarzo Parco Villa la Grange Labirinto della Masone Giardino di Kenroku-en Giardino dell'impossibile Giardino di Ninfa Villa Pizzo

The Caño Cristales, "crystal channel", is a river in Colombia commonly known as the River of Five Colors. In fact, the riverbed is brightly coloured between summer and autumn due to the presence of special aquatic plants. Colombia THE FIVE COLOUR RIVER The Caño Cristales (literally "crystal channel") is a river in Colombia located in the Serranía de la Macarena, in the department of Meta, and is a tributary of the Guayabero River, which is part of the Orinoco basin. The river is commonly known as the River of Five Colours. The bed of the river in fact from the end of July to November is coloured in five different colours: yellow, green, blue, black and above all red, the last colour is caused by the Macarenia clavigera an aquatic plant present on the bottom of the river. It is considered one of the most particular rivers of the Earth so that the National Geographic has described it as coming from the "Garden of Eden". The mountain complex of the Serrania de la Macarena on which the river flows is characterized by the presence of very ancient quartzite rocks dating back to about 1.2 billion years ago, extreme western extension of the Massif of Guyana in Venezuela. Being a minor waterway, the Caño Cristales does not reach 100 km in length and never exceeds 20 m in width. It is a fast flowing river with many rapids and waterfalls. In many parts of the river bed there are circular wells called giant potholes that are believed to have been formed by pebbles or pieces of rock harder than the one in which the river flows: if trapped by the current obstructed by any obstacle, these fragments of rock scrape the walls around the obstacle creating a cavity. Over time, other fragments of hard rock fall into the cavities already present and, rotated by the current of water, continue to affect the wall, increasing the size of the well. The Serranía de la Macarena is located on the border of three large ecosystems, each with a high diversity of flora and fauna: the Andes, the eastern Llanos and the Amazonian rainforest. Plant and animal life is struggling with the lack of nutrients on the solid rocky surface of the plateau and has developed several adaptations. The representative biome of the Serranía de La Macarena is the hydrophytic rainforest: hot, warm and cold. The plateau is home to about 420 species of birds, 10 species of amphibians, 43 species of reptiles and eight of primates. The Caño Cristales has a great variety of aquatic plants. The river water is extremely clear due to the lack of nutrients and small suspended particles. Almost unique is the bright red-pink colouring of the river bed that is observed after the rainy season, at the end of June until November. This colour is caused by large quantities of endemic Macarenia clavígera plant species. This plant can only be found in a few other local rivers, such as the Caño Siete Machos. These red plants adhere firmly to the rocks where the river has a faster current. Load More Photo © CRISTINA ARCHINTO MORE ENVIRAMENT AND BOTANY Grosseto Palmeti Palmeti Caldara di Manziana Terra Scoscesa Le Palme Luoghi d'Acqua Conoscere gli alberi

The Sacred Wood of Bomarzo welcomes visitors with its esoteric charm, accompanying them among stone monsters and mysterious sculptures through an evocative woodland path. LAZIO Bomarzo By LIVIA DANESE The Sacred Grove of Bomarzo is notoriously enigmatic and fascinating. Conceived by Prince Pier Francesco Orsini, it was inaugurated in 1547 and dedicated to his wife Giulia Farnese. Abandoning all prejudices and convictions at the door, one is transported into a surreal context that combines esotericism and mythology with the placidity and beauty of Viterbo’s countryside. The garden, also known as "Parco dei Mostri" (Monster Park), basks in its fame as a hermetic and mysterious place but represents more than just an expression of the Mannerist style’s taste for eccentricities. Nature is not accessory to the artistic caprices. On the contrary it produces the sensations of estrangement, alienation and fascination aroused by the park. The statues, the fountains and the architectures, all of which were sculpted directly in situ, seem to emerge from a natural environment that accentuates their ambiguity. The artworks therefore not only coexist with the ecosystem but also interact with it: a giant turtle that has to defend the female figure on its back, seems to takes advantage of the dense vegetation to hide and approach a whale immersed in the stream. Visitors are invited by the sphinxes at the entrance to concentrate on the wonders of the place, suggesting that the senses, as well as the mind, will guide the way. Perhaps the phrase "every thought flies" on the Orc’s anthropomorphic head represents an invitation to abandon total rationality? Enigmatic inscriptions and riddles, apparently overabundant nature, everything seems to be designed to make one lose balance, as the leaning house perfectly demonstrates. At the same time the park is scattered with reassuring symbols, such as the statue of the Ceres, maternal goddess of fertility, and the dancing nymphs. Today the itinerary through the park is different from the one designed by prince Orsini because of several changes that occurred in time. This makes the interpretation of the symbols along the route even more challenging. However, the encouragement to contemplation is very clear; now all that remains is to immerse oneself in this intricate garden, composed of verdant nature, petrified follies and sibylline verses, absorbing its charm, the mysteries and the enchantment. GALLERY Photo ©CRISTINA ARCHINTO Info: Official website Highlights Male fern - Dryopteris filix-mas Ferns are the oldest plants on our planet and are estimated to have been present for 350 million years. Its scientific name Dryopteris derives from drys oak and pteris fern, as it is very common in shady chestnut and oak forests. Ferns have always been used as dyes because of their tannin content, and were also used to make mattresses and pillows, and their good smell kept fleas away. Ferns are also the subject of many legends and myths throughout Europe, one of which tells us that on the night of 23-24 June, the feast of St John the Baptist, the fern produces a snow-white flower that has the power to make you invisible, like its seeds. Even Shakespeare was aware of this and quotes it in his Henry IV: 'We steal as if we were in an iron barrel, perfectly safe, we have the recipe for fern seeds, we walk invisible'. more gardens and parks Parco del Paterno del Toscano Villa Lante Labirinto della Masone Villa d'Este Giardino di Kenroku-en Giardino dell'impossibile Giardino di Ninfa Villa Pizzo

Since the dawn of time, light has always fascinated man because it represents the supreme power to illuminate darkness. First, of course, it was fire that illuminated and defended man, then Edison brought light into homes with mass production of lamps and electricity, although he was not the actual inventor. At the Botanical Garden in Rome we have a taste of Light Art to see it in a new light. FRANCE LOIRE VALLEY The Gardens of Villandry Castle Photographs and text by Cristina Archinto The Gardens of Villandry are part of the last of the Great Castles erected during the Renaissance in that historical environmental context which is the Loire Valley. The French nobleman Jean Le Breton had it built on the remains of an ancient medieval fortress built in the 16th century. In the 19th century the garden underwent several transformations, until 1906 when Joachim Carvallo and his wife Ann Coleman bought the castle and started a major restoration, including the gardens. At the time, the gardens were in a state of total abandonment and degradation and the photographs of the time make us understand how little was left of the glorious past, and only strong determination and in-depth studies have allowed the Carvallos to recreate the splendor of once. He, a Spanish doctor and botanist with a very strong passion for horticulture, she, scientist, American heiress of iron and steel magnates, together with their knowledge and their heritage have created a true garden of wonders, restoring the areas, such as the Italian garden and the herb garden, the water garden and the labyrinth, sometimes in the French style, sometimes in the Romantic or Renaissance style Today the Ornamental Garden is the main attraction of the gardens of Villandry. In a purely Renaissance style, it is made up of nine parcels all of the same size, but each with a different geometric pattern created by vegetables and flowers. In the boxes are planted vegetables of amazing colors that bewitch; blue leeks, red cabbage and beets, jade green carrot tops, and so on, giving the impression of a multicolored checkerboard, all carefully selected to ensure the best aesthetic but also culinary performance. But there are also tomatoes, courgettes, aubergines, peppers, beans, carrots, onions, cauliflowers, broccoli, lettuces, spinaches and many others, all grown according to sustainable agricultural principles, using organic and integrated cultivation techniques, without pesticides or chemical fertilizers. In short, natural products grown with environmentally friendly techniques and used in the kitchen of the castle restaurant and sold to the public during the summer. The Ornamental Garden, on the other hand, is conceived as an extension of the halls of the Castle of Villandry and develops on the second terrace, between the Vegetable Garden and the Water Garden. A canal divides the Ornamental Garden into two green halls, known as the First Hall and Second Hall. The Renaissance design of this part of the gardens of Villandry is the result of a collaboration between the Sevillian artist Lozano and the painter and landscape architect Javier de Winthuysen for the First Salon, while the Second Salon was designed by Joachim Carvallo. The parterre designs in these rooms clearly evoke the Andalusian style. At the southern end of the estate, is the Water Garden. This French “boulingrin”, or grassy ground, bordered by grassy banks called glacis, consists of an ornamental pond in the center in the shape of a Louis XV mirror, embellished here and there by square lawn parterres and a network of perpendicular avenues and by four secondary ornamental ponds. The current water garden dates from the early 20th century and was built when the gardens of Villandry were transformed into a jardin à la française (formal garden) in the 18th century. The redevelopment of the park in the 19th century in an English romantic style led to the replacement of the classic ornamental lake with one with more natural lines. Based on the 18th century plans, Joachim Carvallo recreated the ornamental pond and gave this area the clear and regular look it has today. After Dr Carvallo's death in 1936, his descendants work to preserve and develop the Villandry estate with the rigor and self-sacrifice that make gardens extraordinary. The Garden of simples is a creation of the 70s; as for the Garden of the Sun, inspired by a design by Joachim, it was inaugurated in 2008 and celebrates the centenary of the restoration of these exceptional gardens in grand style. Today, the gardens of Villandry are one of France's most popular tourist attractions and are admired for their beauty and botanical mastery. Walking through this place is a source of continuous amazement, the natural geometries are the protagonists and they are everywhere like the chromatic combinations that fascinate and amaze. In these gardens you have the clear sensation that nothing is left to chance, therefore "natural", but at the same time you perceive "nature" in a profound way. GALLERY Photos ©CRISTINA ARCHINTO Info: Official website Other GARDENS and PARKS Giardini Botanici di Villa Taranto Giardini Botanici di Villa Taranto I giardini di Villa Melzi I giardini di Villa Melzi Parco giardini di Sicurtà Parco giardini di Sicurtà Gairdino di Villa Lante Villa Lante parco del Flauto Magico Parco Flauto Magico Bomarzo Parco Villa la Grange Labirinto della Masone

Bartolomeo Pallanca’s passion for horticulture matched, if not surpassed, that of his father who was an olive grower by trade. Both men worked for Winter, and in 1910 Bartolomeo Pallanca founded his very own “Stabilimento Orticolo Floreale” nursery. One part of the business specialized in ornamental LIGURIA BORDIGHERA Pallanca Exotic garden Bartolomeo Pallanca’s passion for horticulture matched, if not surpassed, that of his father who was an olive grower by trade. Both men worked for Winter, and in 1910 Bartolomeo Pallanca founded his very own “Stabilimento Orticolo Floreale” nursery. One part of the business specialized in ornamental plants and cut flowers, and the other in cacti and succulents, which were shipped to half of Europe’s botanical gardens. After the war, this became the core business for the nursery. Four generations dedicated their existence to the cultivation, acclimatization and flowering of succulent plants. Nowadays it is one of the most interesting collections for fans and scholars alike. More than 3,000 different varieties and specimens from all corners of the Earth are distributed by the area of origin and form a living map portraying nature’s infinite grace through which rock formations are colonized. Pallanca exotic garden Photo ©CRISTINA ARCHINTO Info: www.pallanca.it More botanical gardens and nurseries Orto Botanico di Ginevra Orto Botanico di Ginevra Centro Botanico Moutan Orto Botanico di Palermo Roma Roseto di Roma Parco Botanico Villa Rocca Water Nursery Giardino Botanico di Hanbury

Water Nursery Latina The Water Nursery, albeit being the most extensive Italian collection for wetland vegetation, is also an endeavour that narrates about the land’s history and through this itself sustains itself, transforming complex environmental conditions into botanical creations of amazing b UMBRIA THE LAVANDETO DI ASSISI Not only lavender Photographs by Cristina Archinto At Castelnuovo di Assisi, under the watchful gaze of the Basilica of St Francis, is the Lavadeto di Assisi a nursery, but not only that, it is also a garden and occasionally a place to celebrate spring in late April, lavender in July and sages in early October. THE NURSERY Lavender is undoubtedly the undisputed star of the nursery, but there are many other noteworthy plants that stand out especially at other times of the year, such as sage Greggii hot lips a beautiful fragrant perennial bush with deep red dots that flowers from April to May. Or the beautiful bushes of Pennisetum villosum a grass with a white blossom that flowers from August to October, or the mauve-coloured Verbena rigida bushes or the Sedum couticola bushes. THE GARDENS Not far from the nursery, immersed in the landscape between one field and another, are what are known as the Lavender Gardens, examples of different types of gardens with specific plants; low-maintenance perennials, or plants suitable for sun or dry soil, or plants to put in your own pond, to see in the field, how our future garden might turn out or how our purchases at the nursery will develop. Bushes of Pennisetum villosum , wonderful Stipa tenuissima that look like hair in the wind, the so-called pampas feathers or Cortaderia selloana and even water lilies with Hydrocotyles for ponds. You can also see the large flowering rosemary bushes that protect so many different aromatic plants from the wind, there are also beehives with bees preparing to spend the winter waiting for another spectacular flowering in spring. Photo ©CRISTINA ARCHINTO Info: Official website More botanic gardens and nurseries Vivai cuba Orto Botanico di Berlino Orto botanico di Madrid Orto botanico di Amsterdam Orto botanico di Napoli Giardino Botanico Nuova Gussonea Orto Botanico di Catania Orto Botanico di Ginevra

A book that tells the story and the landscape of this enchanted place. Eight gardens, eight different realities linked together by the lava flows of this majestic volcano. ​ SHOP BOOK GARDENS IN THE SHADE OF MOUNT ETNA by Cristina Archinto A book that tells the story and the landscape of this enchanted place. Eight gardens, eight different realities linked together by the lava flows of this majestic volcano. In the shadow of Etna, lichens and broom replenish the woods of the slopes crossed by the lava: it is nature that regenerates itself after each flow. Observing the vitality of these processes, the communities of Etna have learned to recognize their richness and ability to adapt. This is how the citrus scented landscape was born and a pioneering science of ecosystems developed: a culture of coexistence with the volcano that gardens have celebrated, acclimatizing specimens from all over the world alongside the local species. Cristina Archinto's photographs tell of the extraordinary adventure that involved the first herbalists and the botanists of the Catania Garden, the wisdom that unites enthusiasts of yesterday and today in continuous experimentation. Portraying the strength of centuries-old olive trees or the elegance of agaves, his shots take us to the most evocative places of seven Etna gardens; and showing the tenacity of opuntias or the poetry of eternal blooms, they reveal the range of greens and the play of light that only Sicily can offer. Alessandra Valentinelli Index ETNA Between nature, history and culture PARCO PATERNÒ DEL TOSCANO In the shadow of the volcano CIANCIO GARDEN In the green of the lava GRAVINA GARDEN The terrace on the Timpa ROOMS IN FLOWER The art of colour VILLA ORTENSIA The beautiful landscape of the citrus grove ETNA BOTANIC GARDEN Iddu CATANIA BOTANICAL GARDEN The Etna road of science FORM Title: GARDENS IN THE SHADOW OF MOUNT ETNA Author: Cristina Archinto Text: Alessandra Valentinelli Photographs: Cristina Archinto Translation: Stefania Bellingardi Beale Text: Italian and English Illustrated book with 80 photographs Format 24 x 23cm Number of pages 108, Soft cover Paperback packaging Cost €26.00 ONLINE PURCHASE DISCOUNT €23.00 BUY ONLINE