Historic Gardens

Enchanted Ninfa : Travel Italy

Ninfa Photo © Alice Joyce

Ninfa is a landscape where gardens rise up on the site of a once-prominent 8th-century town. The present-day gardens were shaped by the creators: Three generations of the Caetani family responsible for the landscape one sees today. In particular, three ladies of English and American ancestry – laudable, artistic figures who contributed to the gardenscape. The wistful romanticism of ancient stone walls is not easily captured in words; the stone surfaces a honey-hued canvas for fading frescoes. Ninfa opens to the public on a limited basis, offering guided tours.

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Historic Gardens

Villa d'Este .. Fantastical Gateway to Italy's Splendor

Villa d'Este Oval Fountain Detail [Photo © Alice Joyce]

Allow yourself to give way to the atmosphere of Villa d’Este (located in Tivoli, Italy) and you’ll experience a fantastical gateway to the historic splendor of an Italian era long past. A visit affords the opportunity to immerse yourself in the fireworks of the stunning water features that animate your passage through an architectural masterwork of design and invention. Note: Buses, trains, and day tours regularly depart Rome for Tivoli.

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Historic Gardens

Sacred Wood of Bomarzo .. Sojourn in Italy

Bomarzo: Sleeping Beauty [Photo © Alice Joyce]

BOMARZO: 16th century landscape populated by strangely compelling creatures, gods & goddesses carved in stone. The Sacred Wood of Bomazo – Parco dei Mostri (Park of the Monsters) is a marvelous Mannerist landscape in the province of Viterbo, in Italy’s Lazio region, north of Rome.

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