Royal Gardens

Giardini Di Villa Reale

An English garden, the first in Italy, designed by Piermarini in 1778. We are talking about the Royal Gardens of the city of Monza, with trees and meadows, caves, ponds and small waterfalls.

Walking through its paths you can also admire a characteristic Doric temple which reflects in the waters of the pond inhabited by swans, turtles, ducks and frogs! Who knows if amongst them a prince is hiding!

From the shores of the lake you can see the cave and the statue of Neptune, or cross the "rock garden" to come down towards the large central lawn, admiring the waterfall and small stream. Continuing left along the telescope in front of the villa, you can admire the Cave of Polyphemus, the neo-Gothic walls and the Torretta.

But what makes the Royal Gardens exceptionally special are the Green Giants: ancient centuries-old trees such as oaks, cypresses, horse chestnut trees and cedars of Lebanon.

 

The Doric Temple

Of classic inspiration, according to Piermarini’s aim, the temple is the central piece of the picturesque landscape and serves as a lookout to walk to the pond. Of circular shape and with a rectangular portico, the small building is also an ideal place to stop thanks to its raised position on the hill, among the branches of trees and shrubs.
 

La Torretta

Commissioned by Canonica in the nineteenth century in medieval style, it was built with recycled materials from Milan. The building, with a rectangular plan and on two floors, is decorated by battlements and completed by a tower with an upper viewpoint. The tower, often shooting in the prints and historical photographs showing the coats of arms of the Visconti and a bas-relief with scenes of hunting.
 

The Green Giants

The great variety of ancient trees made the Royal Gardens famous worldwide in its two hundred years of life.

Here you can admire two oaks, belonging to the llist of monumental trees of Italy. The two large trees have fixed their gaze on the facade of the Royal Villa for two centuries.

A few steps away, in the lawn, you can find a magnificent ginkgo example, a true "living fossil", whose origins are lost in time. It comes from China, where it forms sacred woods around temples.

Turning around you will cross the American Giant Sequoia, with a reddish trunk. Whilst along the driveway, following the wall, the Cedars of Lebanon. Not one trunk but four raise towards the sky with a total circumference of 7 meters. It's a real "natural monument" for its record size that the eyes are unable to embrace in a single glance.
 

The neo-Gothic portal

Some parts of the portal come from Milan’s famous Cathedral, the Duomo. Recently restored, it shows at the top a refined decorative fretwork, delicate marble creations, spiers and pinnacles. The pointed arch is decorated with Gothic capitals, fake windows closed, pinnacles and arches. The decision to adopt the Gothic style is a symptom of the desire of the time to follow the fashion of revival.