On the afternoon of May 8th we were delighted to participate in the reopening to the public of the Pojega Garden, a site of historical and architectural interest in Negrar, in the heart of Valpolicella Classica. Over the past three years, the park of Villa Rizzardi has in fact been the subject of a major restoration project that has finally brought it back to its former splendor.
A bit of history…
In 1783, Count Antonio Rizzardi entrusted architect Luigi Trezza with the task of creating an Italian garden in the park of the villa, a space in which nature and architecture dialogue in harmony. The result is a true green oasis in which the count entertained and amazed his guests by showing them the artistic and botanical beauties preserved here. The garden extends for 54,000 square meters on three parallel levels, following the slopes of the hill, and features four focal architectural structures that create a scenic landscape of extraordinary variety: the Belvedere, the Tempietto, the Teatro di Verzura and the Laghetto.
The restoration
The restoration project was part of a larger project to redevelop green architecture in Italy, and its completion took a total of three years, during which the garden was partially closed to the public. The intervention involved the entire surface of the park, but at the same time it was punctual, restoring the various compositional elements while preserving their ancient flavor. Ample space was given to the structural improvement of the walls, in particular the retaining walls and the stone parapet of the Belvedere, which had previously been closed as it was unsafe. The statuary elements were cleaned and consolidated, and well integrated with new lighting fixtures to create suggestive plays of light and shadow. However, the garden does not only represent a historical and architectural heritage, but also a way to get closer to the natural element.
For this reason, much of the work involved the plant component, which was cared for, integrated and renewed. The parts of the garden that have a more geometric appearance, shaped by box hedges, were enriched with the addition of herbaceous plants and bulbous flowers, which between April and May are able to offer visitors a spectacle of rare beauty. The Boschetto, which appears wilder, was also remodeled, removing the numerous palm trees that had grown spontaneously and replacing the old and diseased hornbeams with a curtain of new hornbeams that recreate the fantastic and “horrid” effect desired in the eighteenth century. The Teatro di Verzura, another focal point of the park, was only minimally touched, as its maintenance over the years has been particularly careful and has ensured its optimal conservation. Finally, the garden’s water system was also renewed, allowing for ideal management of the water, both for the service of the greenery and to create movement in the fountains.
In short, the Garden of Pojega undoubtedly represents a work that is always alive and changing, in continuous evolution. Now accessible in its entirety and maximum splendor, it represents an oasis of peace where you can take refuge to get back in touch with beauty and nature.
For this reason, we have been pleased to include this site, which represents an important piece of Valpolicella history, in our new tour dedicated to the wines and historic villas and gardens of Valpolicella. Discover all the details on the dedicated page on our website!