Eight acres of garden among ponds, plants and colorful flowers
An hour and twenty from the capital is an enchanting place: the Garden of Ninfa. This wonderful place, in the province of Latina, was a medieval town. The name comes from the Roman temple dedicated to the gods of spring waters, built near the present garden.
Among the various noble families that ruled the town of Ninfa, the one that left an important mark was certainly the Caetani family. In the late 1800s, Ada Bootle Wilbraham, wife of Honoraro Caetani, created an English garden. In the 1930s it was Roffredo Caetani’s wife, Marguerite Chapin, who first opened the garden’s doors to a circle of literati and artists.
The last heiress of the Caetani family, the painter Lelia, took charge of the garden, turning it into a painting. The woman planted magnolias, prunus, climbing roses and created the rock garden. In 1972 Donna Lelia created the Roffredo Caetani Foundation.
In 2000, the garden of Ninfa was declared a Natural Monument by the Lazio Region to protect the internationally renowned historic garden. Even the New York Times took an interest in this magical park, calling it the most beautiful garden in the world.
Visits and prices
The garden can be visited only a few days of the year and will reopen its doors to the public in March. In fact, to preserve the delicate environmental balance, visits are limited to specific times of the year and take place only through guided tours.
The best time to visit the garden is spring (April-May), when the blooms are at their peak. Usually open on weekends and holidays, the spring reopening is scheduled for the weekend of March 22 and 23. A full ticket costs 15.75 euros; it can be purchased online.
Admission to the park is divided into time slots, starting at 9 a.m. and ending at 4:30 p.m. Each visit lasts about an hour, and entry to the garden is regulated according to the order of arrival in one’s time slot.
Seven kilometers from the Garden of Ninfa you can also visit the Caetani Castle in Sermoneta. Tickets can always be purchased online. Admission costs 8.25 euros.
Where: via Provinciale Ninfina 68, 04012 -Cisterna di Latina (LT).