Varese, a city of parks.

It is called “Varese, Garden City”, and one of the reasons is certainly its parks, both public and private.

 

In fact, no fewer than seven historic parks belong to the council; first of all, there are the Estensi Gardens, which, together with the park of Villa Mirabello, provide the setting of the extraordinary Town Hall, which was originally a residence of the Estensi family.

 

Then, there are the parks of Villa Toeplitz, Villa Augusta, Villa Baragiola and Villa Torelli Mylius, the Mantegazza Park, which surrounds the castle in Masnago, and the Zanzi Park, on the edge of the lake, in Schiranna.

 

In addition to these, there are the historic park that is the property of Varese Province, Villa Recalcati, a former Grand Hotel of international fame, the park of the Ville Ponti, which is owned by the Varese Chamber of Commerce, and the park of Villa Panza, which nowadays is the property of the FAI, and home to the Villa Panza Museum.

 

But there are also dozens and dozens of private parks of extraordinary botanical and historical importance. Nature Urbane, the landscape festival which has been organised in Varese, since 2017, has made it possible, with special openings, to visit no fewer than 23 private villas, which have century-old parks and extremely rare plants, around houses that are still inhabited by their owners; genuine hidden historical and botanical gems.

 

Altogether, there is more than 27 km² of gardens, in a city that extends over little more than 50 km²; Varese is a green expanse that you see and breathe every time you return.

 

Translated by Francesca Sara and Gandelli Elena

Reviewed by Prof. Rolf Cook