Giardino della Gherardesca, Renaissance garden in central Florence, Italy.
The Giardino della Gherardesca is a Renaissance garden in central Florence with pathways, water features, and plant collections like azaleas. It also contains an Ionic temple and a tepidarium, showing how wealthy owners once combined relaxation with nature.
The garden was built between 1472 and 1480 for Bartolommeo Scala and later passed to the Medici family through Cardinal Alessandro de Medici. After World War Two, landscape architect Pietro Porcinai restored it and it remains Florence's largest private garden today.
The garden shows how Florentine aristocratic families connected their homes with carefully designed green spaces. The layout with temples and water features reflects Renaissance ideas about bringing nature and architecture together.
The garden is normally open only to Four Seasons Hotel guests, but occasional public openings happen during special events. Check ahead for specific dates when the grounds welcome visitors, as these occasions are limited throughout the year.
The grounds feature azalea collections originally planted by the Scala family and maintained over centuries. These specific plantings make it a botanical treasure that most visitors do not anticipate finding in such a historic setting.
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