The Medieval Garden

The garden of the Rocca di Angera is a two-thousand-square-metre space, enclosed between the vineyard and the crenellated walls overlooking the lake. It was recreated in 2008 based on the real model of the medieval garden, drawing inspiration from the miniature depictions present in ancient codices and herbariums. Its geometric structure, divided into four typologies, symbolically refers to the intended use of the plants and the incredible wealth of botanical species that in the Middle Ages were used for cooking, dyeing fabrics, healing, cleaning and in many other ways.

The garden follows nature’s life cycle and its renewal every season. Thus, springing to life around the pre-existing church of San Bartolomeo are the Verziere [Greengrocery], the Giardino dei Principi [Garden of the Princes], the Giardino delle Erbe Piccole [Garden of Small Herbs] and the Boschetto [The Little Forest]. Eloquent names that indicate the purpose for which each area was conceived: in the Verziere, the vegetable garden is planted with lettuce, cabbage, carrots, onions and chard, in addition of course to aromatic herbs. While the orchard includes a detailed list of plants that according to Charlemagne should not be missing from an ideal vegetable garden. The Giardino dei Principi was originally designed as an exclusive place of conversation and relaxation for the lord of the castle, his family and guests: a fountain and a pergola in the centre are nestled in a rose garden to evoke the idea of a garden of delights. Of more practical use, however, are the twelve beds that make up the Giardino delle Erbe Piccole: here there are about one hundred plants - medicinal and for dyeing - divided into groups according to their healing properties. Finally there is the Boschetto, which in olden times marked the border with fallow nature. Here bay laurels, cypresses, hazelnut trees, box trees and holm oaks create a refreshing effect, amplified by a small stream that flows into a pond where irises bloom.