The 7 most beautiful Tuscan gardens

Tuscany is known for good food, fashion, wine and landmarks, most often in the Renaissance style. Yes, Tuscany is the cradle of the Renaissance. The region includes many towns and places worth visiting. That holds whether you go when the sunflowers are in bloom or in autumn, when walking around town becomes more bearable, mainly thanks to pleasant temperatures. In the following paragraphs, discover the 7 most beautiful Tuscan gardens worth a trip.

1. Villa di Poggio a Caiano Garden

The garden around the Medici family villa dates back to the early 17th century. At that time, the garden was rather overgrown, with no fountains or statues. Everything changed only in 1813, when Louis Martin Berthault, a French architect, decided to create a vast park. Today, when you visit the garden, you will be struck by the huge fountain and the extensive grounds full of trees.

2. Baroque Garden of Villa Garzoni

The garden around Villa Garzoni is one of the most important Baroque gardens in Tuscany. Filippo Juvara played a major part in its creation, followed by Ottaviano Diodati, who designed the sculptural decoration and the summer pavilion. A particularly interesting feature is that the sculptural decor is made of terracotta. The garden furniture is also made of terracotta. If you decide to visit the Villa Garzoni garden, also take a look at its greenhouse, where you will find a permanent exhibition of live tropical butterflies.

4. Villa Grabau Garden

The historic estate of Villa Grabau is located just 7 km from the centre of Lucca. In absolutely stunning surroundings, the villa is surrounded by renowned properties that once belonged to famous noble families. No wonder. The area is fertile and rich in wild game, which the particularly discerning aristocracy was fond of. What will amaze you when you visit the garden is the 17th-century Lemon Tree greenhouse. Inside the greenhouse there are over 100 lemon trees. You will also discover a small wall fountain inside.

4. Reale Garden

The late Baroque garden was originally designed for Napoleon’s sister, Elisa Baciocchi Bonaparte. Elisa did not enjoy the villa or the gardens for very long. In 1814, after her brother’s defeat and subsequent exile, the estate ended up in the hands of Marie Louise Borbon. She had mainly the lower part of the gardens rebuilt.  The main focal point is a rectangular pool bordered by a hedge. The garden is also complemented by the Grotta del Dio Pan pavilion, which will truly delight you with its Baroque grandeur. 

5 The Tarot Garden

This place keeps many visitors awake at night. Did you think that Gaudí’s Casa Batlló was so eccentric that nothing could ever top it? You were wrong. That “something” lies in the south of Tuscany, near the small town of Capalbio. The garden’s creator is the famous French sculptor Niki de Saint Phalle, who was inspired by the 22 cards of the tarot’s Major Arcana. For someone who loves esotericism, it is an inspiring place; for a realist, it is hard to digest. In a unique style, modern influences blend here with the historical heritage of the surrounding gardens and with the universal symbolism represented by the individual tarot figures. The whole complex is dominated by the statue of the Empress, in the form of a massive sphinx, which houses the artist’s studio inside.

6. Villa Torrigiani Garden

The garden was built by the Santini family, the owners of the villa, around 1650. This beautiful place is enriched by 700 cypress trees that highlight the centre of the villa. At the end of the garden you will find a small “village” where the servants lived. In the garden there are aviaries, a fish farm and the mysterious Nyphaeum of Winds.

7. Pfanner Garden

Besides a beautiful garden, you will also find the first brewery in Lucca here. Construction was started by the Moriconi family, but due to dwindling finances they had to sell it. So the new owners, the Controni family, hired Domenico Martinelli to complete the building (among other things, he also worked on the chateau in Slavkov). Later, with a significant contribution from Filippo Juvara, the garden was created as well. In its day, many of the town’s residents gathered here under the pergola by the entrance gate, coming to sit and enjoy in the beautiful atmosphere their tankard of Pfanner beer.  

Uncover the beauty of Tuscan gardens and you will find both history and inspiration. Because beauty really is subjective, we can see it in many different forms. So set out to find it in Tuscany.

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