A garden near a library, in Cicero's opinion, completes all the necessities of life. They can't be blamed. Especially in light of the quarantine we have behind us. In fact, what's more beautiful than a walk in the countryside? However, if you live in the city, there is little chance of enjoying such fortunes. Few, perhaps rare, but not impossible. Let's take for example Torino, one of the most beautiful Italian cities and richest in history and culture. And of gardens, of course.
The Piedmontese capital, formerly the capital of the kingdom of Italy, boasts six Royal Gardens in which to get lost in natural wonders, quiet and lightheartedness. The plant includes the Duke's Garden, the Garden of Arts, the Boschetto, the Walls and the Garittone, and finally the Lower Gardens. In addition to numerous parks, among which we mention the Valentino.
The Royal Gardens in the heart of the metropolis
A garden is the green heart of a city. In the garden, among trees, fountains and benches, we meet. There is refreshment, especially in the summer heat. In the garden we walk, we read. The green, the scents of nature, the cheerful voices of children, always bring us back to a bucolic dimension.
In the heart of Turin we can rediscover a similar dimension along an urban green area that spreads over an area of approximately seven hectares. This is the translation into units of measurement of that important monumental and environmental complex represented by the six Royal Gardens.
Renovation work
Work on this vast area began in the sixteenth century, by the will of Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia. At the end of the seventeenth century and then in the last twenty years of the nineteenth century, further interventions enriched the profile of the gardens. A profile, however, that in recent decades has undergone new recovery actions. For ten years, from 2008 to 2018, thanks to ERDF funding, the Garden of the Arts and the Garden of the Duke were renovated. From the beginning these gardens have been open to the public. However, after the fire of the Chapel of the Shroud, it was necessary to close it. In 2016 they were partially opened. The complete reopening of the Royal Gardens is expected in September 2020.
The Duke's Garden
The Duke's Garden represents the oldest area of the plant. Because of its position, it was hit by the fire in 1997. The renovations, as mentioned, are still in progress. The reopening of the garden to the public, scheduled for last April 8, due to the closure due to quarantine, was postponed to the end of June, attracting great participation.
The garden has already undergone a first restoration intervention in 1886. It was the then sovereign Umberto I who requested its renovation in view of the marriage between his brother Amedeo Ferdinando and Maria Letizia Bonaparte. The work was entrusted to the Roda brothers, architects and gardeners at the time in vogue. The garden is located right between the Galleria Sabauda and the rear facade of the Royal Palace. At its center, according to the original plans, there is a fountain with gushes with a border in granite slabs. Recent works have replaced the flooring, introduced the benches with backs and revisited the contents of the pots that line the flower beds. In addition, scenic illuminations have been inserted that make the night gaze on the two facades of the buildings evocative.
The Garden of Arts
The idea of the axial layout of the avenues and perspectives of the Garden of Arts is due to André La Nôtre. He had already designed the gardens of the Palace of Versailles. Again, a walk in the area coincides with a leap into the history of art.
In the second half of the seventeenth century, Carlo Emanuele II ordered an expansion of Turin. Therefore, new bastions were built which gave life to a green space where the garden was set up. In this case, the latest restoration works have brought back access to the park near the staircase of the Levante Apartment of the royal residence. The suggestive Fountain of the Nereids and Tritons can also be reached via a perspective escape produced by the slight slope of the main avenue. It was the king himself, at the time of construction in 1775 by the sculptor Simone Martinez, who demanded the jets with which the mythological figures play joyfully. This fountain, except for postponements, will be open to visitors in September.
The Grove
The Boschetto garden was reopened to the public at the end of June together with the Ducal Garden. His original profile has changed. The interventions directed by Paolo Pejrone have inserted a new undergrowth right next to the large trees. The new layout consists of shade plants, shrubs and herbaceous plants. This cool and reserved environment offers an experience of peace and rest. The regular shapes of the large flower beds, on the other hand, are defined by the orthogonal avenues, the width of which allows for pleasant walks. The interior of the garden also serves as a treasure chest for Giulio Paolini's permanent installation entitled Precious Stones.
The work was made with the marble recovered following the fire of the Chapel of the Holy Shroud. These come from the same quarry that supplied the marbles for the edges of the fountain in the Ducal Garden.
Walls, Garittone and Lower Gardens
The ancient walls that surrounded the historic capital of the kingdom delimit the vast area dedicated to the Royal Gardens. Just near these walls it is possible to visit the garden adjacent to the Garittone, otherwise called Bastion Verde.
This structure dates back to the last decades of the seventeenth century. The original idea was to use the bastion for defensive purposes or in any case for purely military purposes. So much so that the building designed by Ascanio Vittozzi, court architect, was built right in correspondence with the Bastion of San Maurizio. In reality, the bastion was later used above all by the women of the royal family who admired the flat Turin countryside from there. The ramparts of the surrounding walls separate the Ducal Garden, the Garden of Art, the Boschetto and the Garittone from the lower part. This part of the Royal Gardens is precisely referred to as the Lower Gardens. A fair portion of the park housed the Royal Zoological Garden, set up in 1864 by the sovereign Vittorio Emanuele II. Nowadays the internal structure of the garden is dedicated to the Archaeological Museum, while it was once used as a royal greenhouse or as an Orangerie.
Valentino Park
The Valentino Park is not part of the Royal Gardens. However, it is equally important and full of history. It is a public park built on the banks of the Po. Its name probably derives from the presence of an ancient chapel dedicated to the saint of the same name. The garden houses the medieval village, the Fontana del Ceppi (or of the Twelve months, built in 1898) and many other elements of architectural and artistic stature such as the bust of Cesare Battisti and the Monument of the Artilleryman (known as the Piccolo Arco di Triumph). . The area hosts various cultural activities. Ultimately, if you spend the summer in Turin and need to walk in the park, the walk will surely turn into an unforgettable experience.
(Photo sources: Royal Museums - Cultural Heritage website)
