Weekend in Sicily - Where to go and what to see

SicilyToday is starting a special "Best of the Best" collection of Sicilian travel hot spots, under the name "Weekend in Sicily" - Where to go and what to see...

Palermo, once known as the “garden city” because of its many parks, we have today chosen the most famous "English Garden" in Palermo also known as Giardino Inglese in Palermo, designed by Giovan Battista Filippo Basile in 1851, Giovanni Battista Filippo Basile(1825–91)was a Palermo-born architect primarily known for his a Neo-Classicist style. His greatest work was the Teatro Massimo, which was completed by his son Ernesto Basile.

The beautiful English garden in Palermo got its name from the a special style of landscape garden which emerged in England(there of the name) in the early 18th century, and spread across Europe. The English garden presented an idealized view of nature, often inspired by paintings of landscapes by Claude Lorraine and Nicolas Poussin. It usually included a lake, sweeps of gently rolling lawns set against groves of trees, and recreations of classical temples, Gothic ruins, bridges, and other picturesque architecture, designed to recreate an idyllic pastoral landscape.

To make the atmosphere even more impressive plants from all over the world was imported to create a much more exotic environment, showing off great power and wealth during that time.

Inside Giardino Inglese there are many sculptures such as the one of Benedetto Civiletti depicting the "Canaris to Scio". You can also admire the temple designed by Ernesto Basile(Filippo's son), inspired by Arab-Norman architecture.

In the "parterre" garden which is located on the opposite side of Viale della Libertà you will find the monument of Giuseppe Garibaldi sculpted by Mario Rutelli and inaugurated in 1891.

A visit to this English Garden in Palermo is truly amazing, the fountains and the long walk around the lake is making this one of our favorite Sicilian hot spots.

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“To have seen Italy without Sicily - is not to have seen Italy at all,
as Sicily is the key to everything” - Goethe

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