The Gardens of Ninfa

Ninfa, Lazio

Forty miles south east of hectic Rome, you’ll come across one of the most beautiful natural wonders of Italy: the gardens of Ninfa. Ninfa and its unique setting are still a fairly well-kept secret among gardeners, but this enchanting place is guaranteed to weave a magic spell not just on nature lovers but also on everyone who visits!

Built on the medieval town of Ninfa in the Pontine marshes, the garden has been declared a Natural Monument given the variety of remarkable flora and fauna you can admire within its grounds.

The city of Ninfa was destroyed in the 14th century and it was not until the 16th century that several members of the Caetani family local to the area decided to create a garden with precious botanical varieties, pools of water and fountains.

One of the garden’s peculiarities is that it manages to balance chaos and harmony, as freely-growing plants among the ancient ruins coexist quite happily with the well-established plant specimens brought from all over the world. Visiting the garden is only possible with a guide and only at certain times of the year and for more information on upcoming dates check the link here: http://www.fondazionecaetani.org/visita_ninfa.php

No wonder nearly 60,000 tourists a year from all over fall in love with it – you couldn’t find a more romantic and spectacular garden in the whole of Italy!