Private Gardens of Central Italy ...............................

Day 1 

Arrive at Fiumicino airport near Rome and transfer to the charming little walled town of Tuscania.  Time to explore the medieval town in the afternoon. (The Etruscan museum and Romanesque churches are particularly notable).  Meet the Caponetti family who will be our hosts in their country house situated beyond the town overlooking the rolling hills (www.casacaponetti.com), stay for 4 nights.

Day 2  

Drive a short distance to the formal Renaissance gardens of Villa Lante, a perfectly proportioned terraced hillside connected by a series of delightful fountains.  After lunch we visit another 16th century garden , the Sacro Bosco, at Bomarzo.  A truly fantastical journey through a labyrinth of stone allegorical figures dotted through the woods creates both a sense of wonderment and disorientation , this was a place designed to challenge all the conventions of its era.  Return to Casa Caponetti for a cooking class.

Day 3   

Drive north to the lunar landscape of Civita di Bagnoreggio where we visit a private garden, only open on special request, before exploring the crumbling little village of Civita precariously perched on eroding clay calanques.   On the return journey we will stop at Lake Bolsena for gelato, catacombs and a swim.

Day 4

On our way to Orvieto, we will make a small detour to visit the private castle and formal gardens of the Ruspoli family at Vignanello.  At Orvieto after a wine tasting there will be time to explore the town at your own pace.

Day 5

We leave Tuscania for the Alban hills south of Rome.  En route we visit the private gardens of Castel Giuliano, famous for the Marchesa Umberta's collection of Roses set amongst fabulous umbrella Pines.  Arrive at Frascati where we stay for 3 nights.  www.hotel-flora.it  Visit the Villa Aldobrandini.

Day 6 

Today we explore the area known as the Castelli Romani with its volcanic lakes before visiting the gardens of La Landriana,  located in a most unpromising site but consisting of a marvelous set of 32 garden rooms each with a different feel, colour or theme.  

Day 7 

We visit the abbey of Grottaferrata on our way to Ninfa, possibly the most Romantic garden in Italy. Set against a backdrop of ruins, limestone hills and traversed by a crystal clear river, the luxuriant planting only adds to this beautiful vision of paradise.  

Day 8

Departure or extension in Rome.