Giardini Ravino, Botanical garden in Forio, Italy.
Giardini Ravino is a botanical garden in Forio on the island of Ischia containing thousands of succulent plants and cacti arranged across multiple terraced levels. The collection spans the entire property and makes use of the natural hillside terrain of the island.
Giuseppe D'Ambra founded the garden in the 1960s, gathering seeds and plant specimens from his travels. This effort grew into one of Europe's largest collections of succulents that continues to this day.
The garden hosts art and photography exhibitions, book presentations, theatre performances, concerts and conferences, making it a cultural centre on Ischia. It also collaborates with Médecins Sans Frontières and hosts initiatives of Legambiente, Italia Nostra and Slow Food. It is the seat of the Megalesia NGO of the Tommaso Cigliano association, which promotes homeopathic medicine.
Visitors can explore the terraced pathways on their own or join guided tours for groups, with sturdy footwear recommended. The sloping pathways require reasonable fitness, so plan time for a leisurely walk through the garden.
Free-roaming peacocks and rabbits wander among the plants, adding an unexpected element to the visit. Among the thousands of specimens are rare species like the Wollemia nobilis, which are normally seen in only a few locations worldwide.
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