Description
The Ninfa Garden is possibly the most amazing English romantic style garden in Italy. It was built in the 20th Century by members of the Caetani family and completed by the last members of the family Lelia Caetani and her husband Hubert Howard. The garden is now a private park run by the Roffredo Caetani Foundation, which was set up by the family and given the task of keeping the garden alive and flourishing for generations to come.
Today, the Foundation opens the grounds to the public in order to collect funds for the garden’s upkeep and maintenance. However the days in which the property is open to the general public are just a few each year. If you wish to visit on a day in which the gardens aren’t open, we will arrange for a wonderful private guided tour for you and your group so that you can view this amazing garden.
During your full day tour with us, we recommend a pick-up time at a centrally located Rome hotel around 8:30am, giving us plenty of time to arrive at the garden for your private tour with a 10:00am start time. The drive to the area is quite fast and easy, going from the highway to the “Casilina”, known in the ancient time as the Latin road.
We will drive past the towns of Artena and Cori before arriving to Ninfa which sits under the impressive hill, Norma. During the private tour, of around 1.5 hours, you will see cypresses and poplars, grassy meadows, exotic plants from all over the world, several waterworks and many varieties of rambling roses growing over the old stones of the medieval settlement. This garden was once a town! You will learn its unique history from your guide.
After your stroll, your driver can take you to one of the exquisite restaurants in the middle of the small city of nearby Sermoneta. This charming medieval town, built on a hilltop, is famous for the XIII Century Caetani Castle, belonging to the same noble family as the garden you have just visited. You will have a visit of the castle after your meal.
Your driver will take you on a different route on the way back to Rome. You will go along the Appian Way, which was built by the Romans in the IV century B.C. to link Rome to Naples in order of skip the “Pontine marshes”. This route passes by the famous area filled with summer palaces of the Roman Emperors and other VIPs called the Castelli Romani (Roman Castles) including the small towns of Velletri, Nemi and Marino.
This tour is available from February 1st to November 30th each year.
