A Tour of the Garden of Ninfa

I’ve been hearing about the Garden of Ninfa since I arrived in this part of Italy. It is a beautiful garden that thrives and blossoms on the ancient crumbling ruins of Ninfa, a settlement with a temple dedicated to Nymphs. Nymphs are mythological maidens said to inhabit beautiful mountain regions and lakes.

The Garden of Ninfa was first mentioned by Pliny the Younger who was a lawyer and magistrate of Ancient Rome during the time after Jesus died. His letters shed light on that ancient time period two thousand years ago, in fact he was an eye witness to the eruption of Vesuvius that forever preserved Pompeii. 

The ancient city of Ninfa was a rich and prosperous city in the Dark Ages, thriving on the Appian Way. In fact various Popes had been crowned here and taken refuge here in the 1100’s. During this time Ninfa was home to 150 houses, several churches, two hospitals, a castle and a town hall. Ninfa was encircled by a defensive wall 1500 yards in length with guard towers that is still visible today.

By the 1600 it came under the control of the Caetani family, a noble Italian family from which came such successors as Constantine and later several Popes such as Boniface VIII who was elected Pope in 1294. This catapulted them to the rank as the most important family in Rome. This pope granted them fiefhood of Sermoneta and Ninfa among other towns.

Years of neglect followed and Ninfa was finally abandoned to the marshland that always threatened to envelope this area. But unforgotten, Ninfa gardens was handed over to a non profit organization of the Caetani family in the 20th Century. It was planted in the English garden style by the son of Lady Ada who was married to the Duke of Sermoneta. The effect of an overflowing English garden sprawling over the ancient ruins of medieval crumbling city is nothing short of perfection. It has been described as the most romantic garden in Europe where time seems to stand still.

The River Ninfa winds through the garden and various natural springs bubble up from the ground feeding the rich soil and encouraging anything planted to burst forth! We meandered through grassy meadows lined with neatly trimmed boxwood hedges. Iris were in full bloom boasting their elegant purple, yellow or white fluer di lis heads.

Delicate daisies carpeted the ground beneath pink plum trees in full bloom. Canna Lily’s wagged their yellow tongues under their big white bonnets as they bask in the bubbling water of the natural springs.

The roses were just in bud promising a profusion of color for future visitors while the peonies sat reigning as queen with their large ruffly heads in every imaginable color, who would dare compete with them in a beauty contest when they are in full bloom?

The last of the tulips stretched out in the warming sun still exquisitely beautiful even though her time to shine is drawing to a close.

The purple wisteria has unfurled it’s tender green fonds and sprawled over every castle wall and mustard yellow barn. It has dripped over the arbors and busted loose against the ancient crumbling city wall. Who doesn’t wax poetic over the fragrant and elegant wisteria vine? Even the bees cannot resist and are sent buzzing through her blossoms.

There are flame red maple trees glowing in a green daisy coveredfield and groves of cool bamboo forests promising refuge to any visitor who needs a cool break.

Stone bridges cross babbling brooks with tufts of flowers sprinkling out from every crevice. This is how life was meant to be lived, in a garden.For Other Great Travel Stories from Italy in our Archives:

A Morning Run in Nettuno (Published September 10, 2017)

A Visit to Castelli Romani (Published September 13, 2017)

Dinner for Six (Published October 1, 2017)

Italian Cooking School (Published October 8, 2017)

Culinary Tour of Napoli (Published November 17, 2017)

Changing Seasons in Italy (Published November 25, 2017)

Our Trip to Englands Cotswolds (Published January 12, 2018)

Cooking with Pasquale (Published January 28, 2018)

A Tour of the Garden of Ninfa (Published May 7, 2018)

A Trip to Montefiascone (Published May 17, 2018)

San Gimignano, a visit to a Tuscan Hill Town (Published June 9, 2018)

Tuscan Hot Springs of San Filippo & Saturnia (Published June 13, 2018)