The Rose Garden

Villa Reale

A beautiful place full of amazing colors and fragrances, especially in the month of May when the roses are in full bloom. You can find it in front of the Royal Palace since 1964. Here Niso Fumagalli, the president of the Italian Rose Association, founded it.

The rose garden, with its gently undulating terrain, a pond and well-designed paths, is home to over 4,000 varieties of roses including a wonderful collection of old varieties. A special mention goes to "The Secret Garden of Perfume", which includes the most fragrant roses, including "TEODOLINDA 96", a hybrid of pure white tea rose, created by Niso Fumagalli in 1988.

The layout of the garden presents different thematic sections according to the rose collections planted. Old varieties are located around the pond, while climbing roses are found along the railings and on the pergola. However most of the space is dedicated to the roses taking part in the annual Competitions.

 

In fact, since 1965 the Rose garden hosts the International Rose Competition rose competition with special prizes given  to the most fragrant rose.

The first year, the most prestigious award, regarding the best fragrance, was won by the dutchman Jan Leenders, who called "Monza" his "baby", a beautiful soft pink colored rose with an intense aroma.

Amongst the most illustrious godmothers of the competition, Princess Grace of Monaco in 1970, and the Nobel Prize winner Rita Levi Montalcini, in 1991.