Venice is often known as the city of canals and bridges. Surprisingly, Venice has over 500 gardens, by far more than its 403 bridges. Many of these gardens remain hidden from sight, concealed behind the facades and walls of the palazzos. Luckily, some gardens are always open to the public, while others can only be visited at special occasions (such as the Festival dei Giardini) or as part of a tour of Wigwam Club Giardini Storici Venezia. However, most of these hidden gardens are completely private. In this post, I’ll highlight a few gardens that you can explore on your next visit to Venice.
Scuola Vecchia della Misericordia
The original site of the Scuola della Misericordia is ideal to start your discovery of a green Venice. In the 15th century, the building served as housing, a hospital and the church of Santa Maria Valverde. In 1532, the charitable activities of the Scuola moved to a new building on the corner of the Fondamenta della Misericordia. Jacopo Sansovino designed this Scuola Grande della Misericordia (see my post ‘Scuole grandi combine social history and art in Venice’ for more information). During the Napoleonic era in the early 19th century, the owners of the Scuola Vecchia added a private theatre to the residence.
In 1920, artist and art collector Italico Brass acquired the property. He renovated the building and added a tower featuring panoramic windows on the top floor. The structure reminds me of the Scala Contarini del Bovolo. Another section of the house also offers wide panoramic views. The view over Cannaregio and the lagoon must be amazing. The site is now owned by the Ministry of Culture. It houses a laboratory for the restoration of art works from the Galleria dell’Accademia.
The Scuola Vecchia doesn’t have one, but two beautiful gardens. The first garden is the courtyard of the former convent of Augustinian monks. The rear garden holds significant historical value. Many aromatic herbs and old plants date back from the medieval period. One of these is the fragola nero, a berry that tastes like strawberries. There is also a beautiful wooden ‘jeloria’ with Arabic influences. This secluded space, traditionally a retreat for women, is the perfect spot to read a book while admiring the garden view. The garden has been restored thanks to a Danish mecenas of the Wigwam association.
Visits are only possible with a private tour organized by the Wigwam association.
Address: Cannaregio 3599
Palazzo Contarini dal Zaffo
This garden is just a few steps from the Misericordia and overlooks the northern lagoon. The Contarini family, one of Venice’s renowned noble families, built this patrician residence in the 16th century. The family used the house at the front of the property. The family hosted artistic gatherings in the backyard, featuring notable figures such as the painter Tiziano and the poet Pietro Aretino. The Johnston family from England, the new owners, restored the gardens at the end of the 19th century. Today, the property serves as a Cottolengo nunnery and a retirement home for women.
The front section of the garden is part of the retirement home. It has a small pond with waterlilies and is decorated with several statues. The garden includes a variety of trees such as topiary yews, cypress trees and a pomegranate tree, along with some concord grapes. The second area is reserved for the nunnery. This space is meticulously maintained and includes a small vegetable garden. The most impressive part however is the wide view on the northern lagoon with San Michele and Murano.
INSIDER TIP: The book ‘The undrowned child’ of Michelle Lovric is set in this tranquil environment. While it’s a young adult novel, anyone who loves Venice will find it an interesting read.
You can only visit these gardens as part of a tour organized by the Wigwam association.
Address: Cannaregio 3539, Fond. Gasparo Contarin
Palazzo Rizzo Patarol / Grand Hotel dei Dogi
The largest private garden in Venice spans approx. 2,000 m2. It is also located in Cannaregio, close to the Madonna dell’Orto church. Lorenzo Patarol originally created the palazzo with the impressive garden. He documented his knowledge in a herbarium which is now owned by the Museum of Natural History. It catalogues over 1,200 species of flowers and insects. Paratol cultivated flowers that thrive in the salty environment of the Venetian lagoon, including pure white roses and rare lilies. Unfortunately, mid 19th century, the new owner Giovanni Correr removed most of the trees to transform it into a Romantic garden. The garden is now part of the Grand Hotel dei Dogi.
In 2001, the Wigwam association and the hotel launched a project to restore the garden to its original state. The current arrangement of colourful flowers is a result of this restoration effort. In addition to the flowers, you can also admire 2 tall Trachycarpus Fortunei (a type of palm tree), bagolaro or nettle tree (one of the most common trees in Venice) and many other trees and bushes. The large trees, such as the 4 intertwined trees, date back to the mid 19th century. There is also a madonna statue, an ice-cave and a small fountain.
To fully experience this garden, consider booking the suite at the end of the property. This loggia in Palladian style offers views of the garden on one side and on the lagoon on the other side. Alternatively, you can enjoy the garden views while dining or having a drink at the hotel.
Address: Cannaregio 3500, Fond. Madonna dell’Orto
Giardini Reali
The Royal Gardens are located in the touristic heart of Venice, close to Piazza San Marco. The entrance is tucked away between the stalls in front of the bacino di San Marco. The 5,500 m2 garden was created by Napoleon and the young Viceroy Eugenio di Beauharnais. They wanted to use the Procuratie Nuove building as the site of the Royal Palace. The original design featured a garden with geometrically shaped flowerbeds. In 1808, the ancient granaries, which were then being used as barracks, were demolished. From 1815, a greenhouse and a neoclassical pavilion, the Padiglione del Caffè, were added. In the late 19th century, the iron and cast iron pergola was built. In 1920, the ownership of the Royal Gardens was transferred to the city council and the gardens were opened to the public.
The garden was recently restored to its original state. The restoration included not only the trees and the plants, but also the pergola, the coffee house, the greenhouse and the drawbridge. From a botanical point, the flowerbeds retained much of their original arrangement with large clusters of agapanthus, farfugium and iris, plants with evergreen leaves, as well as panicled hydrangeas and autumn-flowering camellias. There are also dwarf evergreen magnolias, Chinese rice paper plants with enormous velvety grey leaves, hybrid continuous-bloom Chinese roses as well as masses of narcissi and tulips. complete the work. The large pergola is decorated with rare varieties of wisteria.
I really love to relax at this green oasis in Venice. The Venice Gardens Foundation, a member of the Association of International Private Committees for the Safeguarding of Venice, realized this restoration.
Address: San Marco
Thetis garden
The sculpture garden at Arsenale Nord is one of the best-kept secrets for the Biennale visitors as it’s hidden on the opposite side of the docks. You can also visit it for free, either by taking the vaporetto to the Bacini vaporetto stop or by walking along the metal walkway attached to the walls of the Arsenale (for more information on its history, see my post ‘The fascinating transformation behind the Arsenale walls’).
The garden is decorated with several contemporary art sculptures such as the ‘Man who measures the clouds’ of the Belgian artist Jan Fabre. If you love contemporary art, it’s definitely worth a visit. The garden was recently restored to its full splendor. Be sure to include it during your next visit to the Arsenale. The project was led by Antonietto Grandesso, a director at Thetis and member of the Wigwam Association.
Address: Castello, Arsenale Novissimo
Venissa vineyard
The Venissa vineyard in Mazzorbo is a prime example of how Venice has preserved its historical heritage, particularly its winemaking tradition. The 18th-century wall encircles the two-hectare vineyard and the 14th-century bell tower. The Dorona vines originate from the 15th century, though they were not originally planted at this site. The catastrophic flood of 1966 devastated most of the fields in the Venetian lagoon. However, a team of agronomists and experts in lagoon history managed to locate the last 88 surviving vine plants at various sites in the lagoon, including Torcello. The sweet gold grapes are now used for the Venissa wine, cultivated by the Bisol family who are historic winemakers from Valdobbiadene.
From the vaporetto stop at Mazzorbo, you can see the bell tower of San Michele Archangelo to your left. Visitors are welcome to stroll through the vineyard and the adjacent vegetable garden, both lovingly maintained by retired volunteers. The vegetables and herbs are used for the kitchen of the restaurants of Venissa. It’s a pleasure to walk around in the vineyard as it offers a refreshing contrast to the usual sights of Venice.
Address: Fond. S. Caterina 3, Mazzorbo
If you want to know more about the gardens in Venice, I can recommend the book ‘A guide to the gardens of Venice’, written by Mariagrazia Dammicco from the Wigwam Club Giardini Storici Venezia. She gives you a wealth of information about 60 gardens in Venice.
If you want to escape the crowds of Venice and walk around vast green spaces, you might want to consider a visit to Forte Marghera in Mestre. It’s perfect for a leisurely walk, lounging on the grass with a good book, or simply unwinding. You can find all information you need in my post ‘Unwind at Forte Marghera: a tranquil green oasis only 10 minutes from Venice‘.
Have fun!