Giardino Gusti, Verona, Italy

Today was going to be our first full day in Verona. Once again, we took the mini bus down to the city. The temperature was already pretty high, right from the early hours of the day. We decided to visit one of the many beautiful, Italian gardens: 'Giardino Gusti', a garden full of nature, art and history.

The history dates back to the early XV century, when a wealthy Tuscan family bought a piece of land to continue their wool-dyeing business, which was also Verona´s main industry and a source of wealth.

In XVI century, the factory buildings were replaced by an elegant palazzo and a wonderful garden was created at the back with hedges, cypress trees, fountains and grottoes.

Giardino Gusti was an obligatory stopping point for the ´Grand Tour´ travellers including poets, artists and notable people such as Mozart, Goethe, Emperor Joseph II, King Carlo Felice of Savoy and Tsar Alexander I of Russia amongst others.

Goethe admired the imposing cypress three, which is now more then six hundred years old and even wrote about it in his 'Italian Journey'.

The garden has maintained the style of the past and is kept according to the XVI century fashions. Visitors can relax surrounded by citrus plants, mythological statues, fountains, grottoes, labyrinth and Roman remains and enjoy panoramic views of the city at the highest point of the garden.

For more details including directions visit: www.giardinogiusti.com/en