MY ADVENTOURIST FRIENDS WELCOME TO LAKE MAGGIORE! I AM IN VERBANIA, AND I AM GOING VISIT A SPECIAL PLACE, A WONDERFUL AND REALLY IMPORTANT GARDEN THAT CANNOT BE COMPARED TO ANY OTHER IN ITALY: THE BOTANICAL GARDENS OF VILLA TARANTO! WITH ME TODAY THERE IS MR FERRARI, MANAGER OF THE BOTANICAL GARDENS OF VILLA TARANTO FOR MORE THAN TWENTY YEARS.
THE BOTANICAL GARDENS OF VILLA TARANTO EXTEND ON A SURFACE OF 16 HECTARES, WHERE MORE THAN 20.000 BOTANICAL SPECIES FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD THRIVE IN DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS, EACH ONE WITH ITS SPECIFIC MICROCLIMATE, EXPRESSLY REALIZED TO ALLOW VEGETATION TO GROW PROPERLY.
MORE THAN 4 MILES OF WELL SIGNALED WALKWAYS ALLOWS 150.000 PEOPLE EVERY YEAR TO VISIT THE GARDENS OF VILLA TARANTO INDEPENDENTLY.
THE SPARK THAT STARTED OFF THIS AMAZING PARK, THAT THE MOST CONSIDER ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL IN THE WORLD, WAS THE CAPTAIN NEIL MC EACHARN, BOTANY ENTHUSIAST WHO SPENT MOST OF HIS LIFE HERE ON LAKE MAGGIORE CREATING THE GARDENS OF VILLA TARANTO. HE CALLED IT VILLA "TARANTO" IN MEMORY OF HIS ANCESTOR MARSHAL MCDONALD, APPOINTED DUKE OF TARANTO BY NAPOLEON.
THE CAPTAIN LIVED MANY YEARS IN WHAT TODAY IS THE SEAT OF THE PREFECTURE OF THE PROVINCE OF VERBANO-CUSIO-OSSOLA, NEXT TO THE BOTANICAL GARDENS OF VILLA TARANTO. IT WAS THE FORMER SUMMER DWELLING OF THE COUNT OF SAINT'ELIA'S WIFE, WHO WAS THE MASTER OF CEREMONIES OF THE KING VITTORIO EMANUELE THE III.
TODAY THE CAPTAIN RESTS INSIDE THE CHAPEL OF THE GARDENS, WHERE EVERY SUNDAY THE MASS IS CELEBRATED.
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PART OF THE GARDENS OF VILLA TARANTO IS THE AREA OF THE TERRACING, CHARACTERIZED BY THE TYPICAL GEOMETRIC SHAPES OF THE ITALIAN GARDENS, WITH FLOWERBEDS, FOUNTAINS AND WATER GAMES, AND WITH THE STATUE OF "THE FISHERMAN", BY THE NEAPOLITAN SCULPTOR VINCENZO GEMITO.
WE ARE IN THE HEART OF THE CASTAGNOLA PROMONTORY, SO CALLED BECAUSE ONCE THIS AREA WAS A HUGE CHESTNUT WOOD (CASTAGNI IN ITALIAN) OF WHICH FEW TREES STILL ARE IN THE PARK. THE OLDEST IS FROM THE 17TH CENTURY.
THE BOTANICAL GARDENS OF VILLA TARANTO HOST MANY LOTUSES, WHOSE FLOWERING CAN LAST ABOUT 20 DAYS, DEPENDING ON THE WEATHER CONDITIONS. THESE FLOWERS CAN BE UP TO 12 INCHES WIDE, AND SO A LIGHT RAIN OR A BREEZE IS ENOUGH TO LET THEM WITHOUT PETALS.
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FLOWER THERE IS A CONE, THAT IS THE FRUIT, THE ONE THING LEFT WHEN THE FLOWER LOSE ITS PETALS.
THE LEAF IS WATERPROOF, SO THE LEAVES CAN CONTAIN WATER, THAT IS A WATERING SOURCE FOR BUGS OR BIRDS.
THERE IS SOMETHING UNIQUE IN THE GARDENS OF VILLA TARANTO, SOMETHING YOU CAN’T SEE ANYWHERE ELSE! IT’S A PLANT FROM SOUTH AMERICA THAT ONLY HERE IN THE BOTANICAL GARDENS OF VILLA TARANTO WAS ABLE TO ACCLIMATE AND BLOOM OUTSIDE ITS ORIGINATING ENVIRONMENT. IT IS THE VICTORIA CRUZIANA, THE WORLD'S LARGEST WATER LILY, WHOSE LILY PADS CAN REACH A DIAMETER OF 2,5 FEET AND CAN HOLD THE WEIGHT OF A CHILD!
IN THE ORIGINATING COUNTRIES PEOPLE USE THEM AS CRIBS. WOMEN WASH THE CLOTHES AND PUT THEIR BABIES ON THE LEAVES THAT ARE LARGE AND CAN HOLD A HIGH WEIGHT.
THE GREENHOUSE OF THE VICTORIA CRUZIANA IS SOMETHING HUGE, A REASON TO BE PROUD FOR THE STAFF OF THE BOTANICAL GARDENS OF VILLA TARANTO. ESPECIALLY SINCE THE GARDEN COULD RECOVER AFTER A TORNADO THAT ALMOST DESTROYED EVERYTHING ON AUGUST 25, 2012: THE TWISTER TORE DOWN MORE THAN 600 PLANTS, SOME OF THEM STILL LIES ON THE GROUND.
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