The Bardini Gardens are an important part of Florentine cultural life
The beauty of Florence’s monuments is known throughout the world. A stroll through Piazza del Duomo, Piazza della Signoria and Ponte Vecchio is truly amazing. It feels like walking through an outdoor museum.
Perhaps the best time to take advantage of the beauty and weather is to enjoy spring in Florence. Enjoy a spring weekend by visiting the city’s colorful flower fields and seeing the first blooms. Among them, one of the most revered by tourists and Florentines alike is undoubtedly the Bardini Garden. One of the best times to visit Bardini Gardens is late April, when the beautiful wisteria trees are in bloom.
You can reach the gardens from the city center by crossing the Ponte Vecchio and approaching from Via dei Bardi, or by climbing the Costa San Giorgio at the foot of Fort Belvedere. Here you’ll find the unexpected sights of Santa Croce, the Synagogue and the National Library appearing closer than Piazzale Michelangelo.
But the scenery only adds value to this oasis of peace, a far cry from the chaos of the adjacent city spread across nearly 10 acres of parkland.
After several years of decline, a careful renovation in 1996 restored the gardens to their former glory and was recently named one of the 150 most beautiful gardens in Europe by the European Garden Heritage Network.
The beauty of the Bardini Gardens is due to the combination of the diverse botanical heritage developed since the 14th century: the Italian, English and Anglo-Chinese gardens.
The park’s most spectacular element is undoubtedly the Baroque staircase that allows visitors to climb up to the Belvedere Fortress.
Today, thanks to major exhibitions and events held throughout the year, the garden has found its rightful place in Florence’s cultural life.
For more information, see www.villabardini.it/en/.
