The art of wine and that of gardening join in the network of “Great Italian Gardens”

Unique and fascinating places, often located in small villages and rural areas, Italian gardens are a widespread treasure of Italy cultural heritage. They are the destination of slow tourism immersed in the beauty of nature shaped by human hands between botany, landscape, and art, and far from traditional tourist flows. They are brought together by the renowned “Grandi Giardini Italiani” - “Great Italian Gardens” network which, with the arrival of spring, has unveiled the 2026 Guide. For three decades, this guide has been the faithful travel companion for visiting Italy most beautiful gardens, including the 150 featured across 12 regions in this new edition, with 5 new entries, among them two wineries where the art of gardening meets the art of winemaking: these include Ca’ del Bosco in Erbusco, a brand which has shaped the history of Franciacorta and its prestigious Metodo Classico sparkling wines, and a pioneer in transforming its vineyards into an open-air art museum showcasing works by artists such as Arnaldo Pomodoro, Mimmo Paladino, Igor Mitoraj, Stefano Bombardieri, and Bertozzi & Casoni, integrating agricultural landscape, contemporary architecture, and a rich itinerary of environmental artworks set among vineyards and production spaces. Another new entry is Castiglion del Bosco, the historic estate featuring the Rosewood wine relais and the Michelin-starred cuisine of chef Matteo Temperini, set among the Brunello vineyards of Montalcino and immersed in the Val d’Orcia landscape, a Unesco World Heritage Site, where gardens, vineyards, and rural heritage interact harmoniously with the natural Tuscan surroundings.
The 2026 Guide - whose cover features the artwork 0121-1110=115075 (2015) by artist Jaehyo Lee at Arte Sella, on the Valsugana plateau in Trentino, highlighting the network 11 properties dedicated to contemporary art - also welcomes Limonaia del Castèl in Limone sul Garda, a historic complex dedicated to citrus cultivation overlooking Lake Garda and bearing witness to the tradition of Garda lemon houses and the relationship between architecture and terraced agriculture; Villa La Quiete in Treia, a historic residence set in the rolling Marche hills, with a historic park featuring mature trees and green spaces rooted in the tradition of country estates; and Trevelyan Park in Taormina, also known as the Villa Comunale, a 19th-century public garden overlooking the sea, characterized by exotic plants, ornamental structures, and panoramic paths.
Also the Gardens of Sissi at Castel Trauttmansdorff in Merano can be mentioned, custodians of the Versoaln, the oldest living vine in the world; San Leonardo, the historic estate in Trentino owned by the Marchesi Guerrieri Gonzaga, where the San Leonardo wine arose, together with the Guerrieri Gonzaga Park; from Villa Brandolini d’Adda in Sacile, Friuli, with its Vistorta agricultural and wine estate; to Villa Rizzardi, part of the Veneto winery Guerrieri Rizzardi in Negrar; from Villa Arvedi with its olive mill in Grezzana; to Villa dei Vescovi in Torreglia, home to Wine Shop of Colli Euganei; from the Garden of Palazzo di Varignana, which produces wine and olive oil near Bologna; to Fattoria di Maiano in Fiesole, with its expanse of olive trees overlooking Florence; from the Torre Garden, the Royal Bourbon Orchard in the Royal Park of Capodimonte; to Villa Cimbrone in Ravello, with the Michelin-starred restaurant Il Flauto di Pan and “Terrazza dell’Infinito” overlooking the Amalfi Coast; to Villa Tasca, the historic residence of the Tasca d’Almerita family in Palermo, among many others.
“Gardens represent a living cultural heritage that exists only if it is cared for and shared  - explains Bianca Passera, president of “Grandi Giardini Italiani” -  our work creates connections between places, people, and landscapes, so that a garden visit becomes an accessible and contemporary cultural experience”.