Giardino di Villa Gamberaia | Grandi Giardini Italiani

History

This relatively small property (about one hectare) is a concentration of architectural and landscape mastery from the seventeenth century to the twentieth and has a spectacular view which sweeps over Florence and the Arno valley from the hill outside the town of Settignano. The villa was finished in 1610 and inhabited by the Lapi family until it was sold to the Capponi Marquesses, who extended the garden and added statues and fountains.

In 1896 the property was taken over by an eccentric Russian lady, Catherine Jeanne Keshko, wife of Prince Eugenio Ghyka, who dedicated part of her life to enrich the austere layout of evergreens with colored plantings of roses and flowers and transforming the eighteenth century Italian style garden next to the villa into an ingenious, luminous interplay of volumes and spaces, where basins of water bordered by clipped box substitute parterres. The 225 meters lengthwise axis is a great grassed avenue which runs between a nymphaeum at the north decorated with bas-reliefs and opens out over the valley to the south. Along the 105 meters cross axis, is a cabinet decorated with statues, water games and four exquisite symmetrical flights of steps which give access to two secular holm oak woods and the lemon garden, with tree peonies and espaliers of “Albertine” roses.

This garden has exerted a great influence over two great contemporary landscape architects due to the perfection of its architectural layout, Geoffrey Jellicoe, who was inspired by it in his restoration of the garden at Sutton Place, and Pietro Porcinai, born in Settignano and son of one of the Gamberaia gardeners.

Architect

Sir Geoffrey Alan Jellicoe

British landscape architect and urban planner, after studying at the Architectural Association, he came to Italy in 1923 and, with his partner JC Shepherd, visited in detail the most famous historic gardens of central Italy: La Gamberaia, Boboli gardens, Villa d'Este etc., later described in the volume The Italian Gardens of the Renaissance. As a garden architect he worked both in Great Britain (also with Russell Page) and abroad (Rhodesia and again Italy, in Modena and Brescia). He was also the author of water gardens, but his fame rests on a large project related to the city of Sutton Place (Surrey), where one can admire above all a Paradise Garden, a Moss Garden, a Walled Garden and a Kitchen Garden. Another of his famous and fantastic projects was realized in Galveston (Texas) for Moody Foundation Historical Gardens.

The Great Green. Eco-Sustainable Practices

The Garden of Villa Gamberaia is actively committed to promoting sustainable and environmentally respectful practices. Over the years, it has implemented several actions:

◈ Energy Efficiency

Thermal insulation
Installation of heat pumps
Thermal windows
Installation of new drip irrigation systems and water purification filters. Collection and storage of rainwater.

◈Enhancement, Expansion, and Restoration of Plant Heritage

Restoration of approximately 4,000 m² of sod and seeded lawn, and 12 boxwood spheres (*Phillyrea* and *Buxus* species)
Planting of new flowers: Roses, Lilies, Hydrangeas, and Azaleas

◈ Eco-Friendly Green Management

Use of organic fertilizers

... and what about the future?
The goal for 2026 is to strengthen green area maintenance interventions.

Grandi Giardini Italiani Srl

Grandi Giardini Italiani Srl