Gardens Not To Miss in Florence series: Rose Garden
In 1865 as Florence was set to become the capital of Italy taking the mantle from Turin, Giuseppe Poggi was commissioned to design the left bank of the Arno. In the Oltrarno district of Florence, Giuseppe Poggi developed the garden what is now known as the Giardino delle rose: the rose garden. The garden is now located viale Giuseppe Poggi.

The residents of the city only had the chance to visit this special place exclusively in the month of May for what in 1895 they called the “Festival of Arts and Flowers that the FIine Arts Society and the Italian Society of Horticulture”. For us modern folk however, the garden is now open all year round, from 9am to 8pm in during the summer, and 9am to 5pm in the winter.
An incredible panoramic view of the city is the lasting impression that you will receive upon entering. Amongst the garden, you will see that it contains (surprise, surprise) over 350 types of roses, near a thousand varieties of different plants, and a relatively recent (1998) installation of a Japanese oasis from the architect Yasuo Kitayama.

As the widow of the Belgian artist Jean-Michel Folon donated a collection of his sculptures to the authorities of Florence, you can also find twelve of these symbolic forms scattered through the locality of the garden. This makes for a great addition to the emotion of the place as you wander around, as each sculpture evokes a different concept.
The rose garden is surrounded by two other beautiful main attractions, the Piazzale Michelangelo and San Miniato al Monte which are only a 5 minute walk away. You have two different points from where you can access the garden. From the Scalea del Monte alle Crocito to the south-west, to Viale Giuseppe Poggi to the east.

Stay tunned for more of gardens in Florence!