Boboli Gardens, Florence
Must-SeeThe prototype Italian Renaissance garden — axial design, grottos, fountains. Attached to Palazzo Pitti. Half a day in the green heart of Florence.
Villa d'Este, Tivoli
Must-See500 fountains in a terraced garden descending a hillside. The Organ Fountain plays music. UNESCO-listed.
Giardini di Ninfa, Lazio
Must-SeeThe "most romantic garden in the world" — a ruined medieval town overgrown with flowers and streams. Open limited days — book months ahead.
Isola Bella, Lake Maggiore
Must-SeeA Baroque fantasy garden on a lake island — 10 terraces of flowers rising like a pyramid. Part of the Borromean Islands tour.
La Mortella, Ischia
Must-SeeA subtropical garden created by Susana Walton — Mediterranean and tropical plants on volcanic soil. Music events in the garden theatre.
Where to start
Italy has the world's greatest concentration of italian gardens. Use this guide to find the masterpieces — then let yourself be surprised by what you discover on your own.