Villa Taranto Gardens

The Villa Taranto Gardens, or Giardini Botanici Villa Taranto, are botanical gardens located along the western shore of Lake Maggiore in Pallanza, Italy. The gardens sprawl over 16 hectares and are open to the public daily. Throughout the garden, guests can explore a variety of exotic plants with more than 20,000 plant varieties representing 3,000 species on display. There are many distinct areas of the gardens, which include a fountain and sculpture garden, herbarium, dahlia garden, mausoleum, and Valletta. By looking to the Villa Taranto Gardens, you may find some exotic inspiration for your own landscape at home, where you might capture the romantic and whimsical nature of coastal Italy in your own private retreat.

Garden history

The Giardini Botanici Villa Taranto was established between 1931 and 1940 by Scotsman Neil McEacharn, who had purchased a villa and neighboring estates to clear the landscape for the development of the distinctive features that define the gardens today. The gardens did not open to the public until 1952, and they were taken over by a non-profit organization in 1964 following McEacharn’s death.

Unique features

The villa within the gardens is not open to the public, but there are many features to explore across the sprawling gardens. There is a pond filled with a stunning variety of lotus plants, colorful terraced gardens, and an artificial valley under a single-arch stone bridge that houses a rare handkerchief tree. Through the months of April and May, guests are delighted by the presence of a myriad of white blossoms on the branches of this rare tree.

Visit the garden’s official website at www.villataranto.it