Address: Vicolo dei Ciucioi, 38015 Lavis (TN)
Opening hours: Saturday and Sunday at the following times 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2 p.m., 3:30 p.m.
The visionary work of entrepreneur Tommaso Bortolotti, built from 1835 until his death in 1872, derives its name from the German word Zu Zoll (at the duty), as the duty was placed in the village of Lavis on the border between the county of Tyrol and the episcopal principality of Trent. After a period of deterioration, it has recently been restored on a historical basis, thanks to existing documentation. The complex mixes, with casual eclecticism, learned quotations and naïve elements. In a dreamlike setting, architectural wings of a Crusader castle and a Renaissance palace, a spire and a Moorish-style staircase follow one another on different perspective planes. The elaborate irrigation system, with cisterns and fountains, has enabled the planting of terraced gardens, while greenhouses provide protection for the most delicate plants.
The terraced gardens, starting from the bottom, feature: the palace parterre with ground cover plants, bulbous plants and herbaceous perennials; a formal secret garden; an orchard at the “crusader castle” with ornamental varieties of fruit trees; the “theme” gardens with five highly sloping side terraces with flowering herbaceous perennials; the green aviary, a topiary plant architecture; and the “high pergola” with ancient varieties of roses. The intricate system of pathways, consisting of oblique staircases, trench paths, and internal passages, not only allows the connection between the various levels but also often has an aesthetic function, enhancing the charm of the place.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.gardenrouteitalia.it/giardino-dei-ciucioi
