Parco del Neto, Public park in Settimello, Calenzano, Italy
Parco del Neto extends over 7 hectares and maintains wetland features that represent the original valley landscape with natural overflow paths for the Arno River. The grounds preserve the original hydrology and show how the river once overflowed its banks during high water.
The estate once belonged to French senator Ilario Ronillè Marchese di Boissy during the Napoleonic period and later to Count Ignazio Guiccioli, who had connections to Lord Byron. This ownership history shows how the place passed through generations of influential European families.
The park preserves nineteenth-century landscape design with main pathways lined by lime, plane, and horse chestnut trees from that period. These historic trees still shape how the place looks and reveal how people imagined garden design long ago.
The park functions as a nature reserve within an urban setting and offers both recreation and environmental value. Visit during mild seasons when the paths are dry and easily accessible throughout the grounds.
The park contains rare specimens of Taxodium distichum, North American trees that shed both leaves and branches in winter and reach heights over 50 meters (164 feet). These unusual trees are seldom found in Europe and give the park special botanical significance.
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