The Birth of a Tradition
As a disclaimer: These photos were taken during a visit in January 2016, so this post may not be representative of this site today.
Giardino di Boboli
Located right behind the Palazzo Pitti, the Boboli Gardens represent one of the first and most important examples of what came to be known as the Italian Garden, which is based on symmetry and the act of imposing order over nature.
My visit to the garden was on a very cold Winter day, and as you can see, most of the trees were bare, but it’s still one of the highlights of my trip to Florence. I can only imagine how beautiful it must look in the Spring, all green and blooming.
The garden was built for Eleonora di Toledo, and was for private use only — nobody outside of the immediate family had access to it, and it was not used for entertainment purposes.
It was begun by Niccolò Tribolo, then continued by Bartolomeo Ammanati after his death, in contribution with Giorgio Vasari and Bernardo Buontalenti.
As the garden itself lacks a natural water source, an elaborate irrigation system was constructed in order to bring water from the Arno and water the plants in the garden.
One of the best things about the garden is that it’s perched atop a growing hill, so that once you reach the back of it you get a stunning view over the surrounding countryside.
Gold Colored Fox 