When you walk around Venice, it’s easy to catch a glimpse of treetops or bushes but, except for rare exceptions, it isn’t possible to see inside the gardens. Yet they exist and there are actually a lot more of them than you might expect. In the past it was said that there were about 500 gardens and botanical gardens. This fact is even more extraordinary when you consider the lack of space in a city that for centuries was one of the most populated in Europe.
Before the fall of the city in 1797 to Napoleon, the gardens were a luxury that only the wealthiest families could afford. Owning a garden in a city like Venice was also a challenge due to the saltwater, the supply of freshwater and often the scarcity of light in many gardens, which were generally enclosed by high walls.
We’ll begin our visit with a hidden gem, the modern garden designed by Carlo Scarpa for the Fondazione Querini Stampalia. We’ll then move on to the garden of Palazzo Contarini Dal Zaffo, which is extremely famous and was even painted by the great Venetian artist Francesco Guardi. Not far from there, we will finish our visit at the garden of Palazzo Rizzo Patariol where you can enjoy a well-earned aperitif.
