The Collection - Garden & Botanical Tours
Images that come to mind when one thinks of Italy are often those of dramatic architecture, stunning sculptures, paintings, and also, the wonderful landscape, and of course, the many spectacular formal gardens. Often, many of those Renaissance paintings feature the memorable Italian landscape that has become so familiar to us all: the gentle rolling hills crested with slender Cypress trees. Or how about the manicured topiary and fountains of a formal garden, like Villa d’Este in Tivoli, or Isola Bella in Lake Maggiore, near Stresa?
Gardening, botanical, and horticultural enthusiasts will revel in Italy’s many villas and gardens, and what is even better is that they are found all over the country, so your program does not have to be restricted to one particular area. That said, there are hot spots, however, like the Lake District of Como and Maggiore, where many splendid formal gardens were designed by both Italian and English landscapers.
In addition, Italy holds some unique treasures for gardening enthusiasts and botanists. In Padua, the botanical gardens, founded in 1545 as an apothecary’s teaching garden for the medical school of the university, are the second oldest in Europe. (the oldest are in Pisa, predating Padua by 1 year) Several exotic plants when introduced to Europe were grown there for the first time, including lilac, sunflowers, jasmine, and the potato.
Suggested
Itinerary - A Garden Tour Of Italy
Day
1 - Arrive Rome, Italy, and transfer to your hotel. Balance of the day free to
rest.
2 - Morning tour of
Imperial Rome. Lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, visit Villa d’Este
and its gardens, as well as Hadrian’s Villa, both in Tivoli.
3
- Morning tour of the Vatican, followed by a private visit of the Vatican gardens.
4
- Transfer to Montecatini, your base for the next few days. Stop en route in Florence
for a tour of the city, including the Boboli Gardens.
5
- Transfer to Lucca for a tour of the city, followed by lunch. In the afternoon,
visit the nearby Villa Garzoni, Villa Reale, and Villa Torrigiani.
6
- Head south to Siena, for a tour of Siena, followed by lunch and a visit of Castello
di Celsa and the spectacular Villa Chigi Cetinale, both of which are visited by
appointment only.
7 - Return
to the environs of Florence today to see the Villa La Pietra, which is owned by
New York University, and Villa I Tatti, which is owned by Harvard. Both are by
appointment only.
8 - Transfer
to Stresa, on Lake Maggiore. En route stop at the stunning monastery of Pavia
for a tour and lunch. Upon arrival in Stresa, enjoy a tour of the Parco Villa
Pallavicino, with its impressive zoological garden.
9
- Morning tour of Isola Madre and Isola Bella, to see the gardens of these famous
islands in the lake. Lunch on Isola Pescatori.
10
- Head towards Lake Como, to visit Villa d’Este, Villa Carlotta, Villa Cicogna
Mozzoni, and Villa Melzi.
11
- Full-day tour of Milano, including lunch and free time after.
12 - Transfer to Malpensa airport for your flight home.
This itinerary can be reversed.
Note: The above itineraries are only a sample of the many and varied possibilities that TR International can offer in Italy for your special interest tours, incentives and meetings. The itineraries are intended to assist you when discussing tours with group organizers. TR International can design any kind of itinerary with different arrangements. Net quotations will be provided upon request since rates are affected by services required, size of the group, period of the year, exchange rate at the time, etc.
