An English garden, the first in Italy, designed by Piermarini in 1778. We are talking about the Giardini Reali della città di Monza, an alternation of trees and meadows, grottoes, stretches of water and small waterfalls.
Walking along the paths you can then admire a characteristic Doric temple that is reflected in the waters of the lake, inhabited by swans, turtles, ducks and frogs! Who knows if a prince is hiding among them!
From the shores of the pond you can then admirethe cave and the statue of Neptune, or cross the "rock garden" to descend to the large central meadow, admiring the waterfall and the small stream. Continuing to the left, along the spyglass in front of the villa, one can admire the Polyphemus's Entrance, the neo-Gothic walls and the turret.
But what makes the Gardens of the Royal Villa of great naturalistic value are the Green Giants: centuries-old trees such as oaks, cypresses, horse chestnuts and cedars of Lebanon.
The Doric Temple
Classically inspired, in Piermarini's intent, the temple is the centerpiece of the picturesque landscape and serves as a belvedere to the walkway leading to the pond. Circular in shape and with a rectangular pronaos, the small building is also an ideal resting place thanks to its elevated position on the knoll, amid the foliage of trees and shrubs.
La Torretta
Wanted by Canonica in the 19th century in the medieval style, it was built with salvaged materials from Milan. The two-story, rectangular building is decorated with battlements and complemented by a tower with an upper belvedere. The turret, often captured in prints and historical photographs, shows the Visconti coats of arms and a bas-relief with hunting scenes.
The Green Giants
The great variety of ultrasecular trees has made the Gardens of the Royal Villa world-famous in its two hundred years of existence.
Here you can admire the two oaks, featured in the list of monumental trees of Italy. The two large trees have been fixing their gaze on the façade of the Royal Villa for two centuries.
A few steps away, in the English lawn, one encounters a splendid specimen of ginkgo, an authentic "living fossil," whose origins are lost in the mists of prehistory. It hails from China, where it forms sacred groves around temples.
While turning around, one's gaze crosses the American sequoia, with its reddish trunk. Along the driveway, following the city wall, one crosses the Lebanon Cedar. Not one trunk but four rise skyward with a total circumference of 7 meters. It is a true "natural monument" because of its record size that the eyes cannot embrace in a single glance.
The Neo-Gothic Portal
Some parts of the portal come from the Milan Cathedral. Recently restored, it shows in the upper part refined fretwork decoration, with delicate achievements in marble, spires and pinnacles. The pointed arch is embellished with Gothic capitals, closed mock windows, pinnacles and arches. The decision to adopt the Gothic style is symptomatic of the desire of the time to follow the revival fashion.
