A bit of history
According to the rankings by TheNeeds, the most beautiful gardens in the world are the Giardini di Villa Taranto in Verbania.
The Giardini di Villa Taranto were designed by Captain Neil McEacharn, who bought them in 1931 from the Marquise di Sant’Elia. He wanted to reconstruct a piece of his beloved Scotland by creating an exemplary English garden that would reconcile two fundamental requirements: beauty and botany. The name was chosen to honour the memory of one of his ancestors, Marshal McDonald, who was named Duke of Taranto by Napoleon. The work lasted 9 years, during which time an innovative irrigation system was built which enabled water to be brought directly from the lake. Fountains, terraced gardens, a winter garden, marshes and pools for water lilies and lotus flowers were also constructed.
What to visit
THE GARDEN
The Giardini di Villa Taranto extend across an area of around 16 hectares in which there are around 1,000 non-native plants and 20,000 varieties and species of particular botantic value. The diverse species include azaleas, rhododendrons, maples, camellias, hortensias, magnolias, heathers, eucalyptuses, tulips, asters and lotus flowers. The rare species include: the huge Victoria cruziana waterlilies found in the tropical greenhouses, the Metasequoia glyptostroboides conifers, the Dicksonia antarctica ferns, the Emmenopterys henryi and the Acer palmatum maple. McEacharn.
Spring is the best time to visit these splendid gardens so that you can enjoy the vivid colours and scents of the blossom.
Visit the Botanical Gardens of Villa Taranto website to find out the opening dates and entrance ticket prices!
Lagomaggioreboat will take you directly to the entrance of the Giardini di Villa Taranto!
