Giardino della Zisa, Urban park near Zisa Palace in Palermo, Italy.
Giardino della Zisa is a rectangular urban park in Palermo, inaugurated in 2005 on the site of the former Genoard hunting park. A central canal, aligned with the palace portal, runs about 130 metres through a system of water basins. White marble from Alcamo and Castellammare del Golfo forms the canal and paths, while decorative ceramics come from Santo Stefano di Camastra. Twelve footpaths divide the sides into plots planted with Mediterranean scrub.
The grounds were once Genoard, a medieval hunting area with Arab origins. The current park was created in 2005 on this historic site and reflects its earlier use in its design.
The garden's layout follows the Islamic-influenced design of the adjacent Zisa palace, with a central axis aligned to the palace portal. The white marble of the canal and footpaths comes from the Alcamo and Castellammare del Golfo quarries, while the decorative ceramics were made in Santo Stefano di Camastra. Twelve dammusi built in the 1950s, when the land was still an agricultural baglio, now serve as the visitor information point.
The garden lies directly opposite the Zisa palace, with its central canal aligned to the palace portal, so enter from there and follow the axis toward the water basins. The twelve dammusi between garden and palace now serve as the visitor information point. The marble walkways and the shaded metal pergola give cover on hot days.
A metal structure with geometric patterns inspired by Islamic design creates a shaded walkway covered in climbing plants. This covered pathway offers a cooler, quieter spot within the park.
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