If you are planning an early summer vacation in Florence and are going to be wandering around the city, we recommend making the most of the green spaces of the Birthplace of the Renaissance while they are in full bloom. Time spent in the famously beautiful and elaborate gardens of historic palaces that are now open to the public for visits, hanging out in one of the large public parks with a picnic, or simply taking a little breather in one of the charming flower gardens run by the city, offers visitors a chance to pause and relax in peaceful and pretty surroundings. It’s very easy to book a vacation rental in Florence and then spend your entire trip dashing around in a mad effort to see and do it all but it is also important to take a moment, enjoy the atmosphere and the good looks of the city, and to stop and smell the roses...
The best place to do just that is the Rose Garden in Florence. A place where extraordinary blooms, interesting artwork, and stunning views over the city’s skyline all come together, it is a must-see for those who are staying in a holiday rental in Florence in May or June.
During these months, the roses are in bloom and it makes for a perfect space to enjoy the scents and colours, while sitting on a bench and taking in the city. There is, in fact, an astounding collection of some 400 different varieties of roses and 1000 botanical varieties, as well as lemon trees and other plants to admire in this charming space, built into a hillside in the Oltrarno area, below Piazzale Michelangelo (famously one of the best spots to take in the view over Florence).
In addition to the blooms in the garden, the space is also home to a Japanese Garden and twelve sculptures by the Belgian artist Jean-Michel Folon that were donated by his widow in 2011 and are dotted throughout the garden. The Rose Garden stretches over a hectare and originally dates back to 1865. Created by Giuseppe Poggi, who also designed the Piazzale Michelangelo, on land that once belonged to Padri Filippini, it was then redesigned by Attilio Pucci into a terraced garden with walls that could house a special collection of roses. Designed in the French style with local Italian influence, it was made to evoke a bucolic and natural setting. The addition of an area called the Japanese Shorai oasis and a Zen Temple, "Kodai-Ji", donated by the Japanese architect Yasuo Kitayama, came in 1998, enlarging the garden and making it even more special.
Opened to the public in the last decade, initially only when the roses bloomed in May and June, it is now possible to visit for free, from morning until sunset, throughout the year. Coming when the roses are putting on their annual show each summer is, however, still the best time to visit. Helpfully, there are flat paths that are wide enough for strollers and wheelchairs to pass through and the open, terraced layout means that it is easy to watch little ones as they explore. Those travelling solo will also find that it is a great place to park up on a bench with a coffee and a good book for a moment of peace in the city and couples are sure to find a romantic little corner. It really is a perfect little gem to pencil into a trip to Florence. So, if you book a villa in Florence for May or June, be sure to swing by and take it all in – the roses, the art, the Japanese Garden, and that astounding view!