Passion wisteria, from Liguria to Tuscany, from the Ninfa river to Lake Maggiore, four places where you can admire waterfalls of flowering “bunches”

I know of no more heartbreaking vision of wisteria in bloom (…). In June that blue rain tore my heart. Per Émile, he was the protagonist of The Catilinaries by Amélie Nothomb, the wisteria recalls the suffering of life, with its clinging to the wall, letting the bunches fall like disconsolate moans. If for you, on the other hand, wisteria, with its intensely scented blue-violet flowers, is a symbol of serenity, joy and even sensuality, here are four places where you can admire this climbing plant, native to the Asian regions, which is said to be came to us thanks to Marco Polo and whose scientific name, Wisteriais a tribute to the American physician and anatomist Caspar Wistar (1761-1818).

The great climbers of western Liguria
In Alassio, in western Liguria, the historic gardens of Villa della Pergola, one of the most beautiful parks in Italy and a rare example of an Anglo-Mediterranean garden, host the most important Italian collection of wisteria (certified by SOI), with 34 different varieties in shape and color. These gardens, which extend for 22 thousand square meters, have their roots in the late nineteenth century and are closely linked to the history of the English community in Liguria. The spectacular waterfalls of wisteria from the chestnut wood pergolas, with an explosion of colors from pink to white, make us understand why Ruth Hanbury organized a “Wisteria Party” for her guests every year.

During the restoration phase, curated by the landscape architect Paolo Pejrone, particular attention was paid to the recovery, conservation and creation of the renowned botanical collections (from agapanthus to myrtles to cacti). Thanks to the passion of the current owners, Silvia and Antonio Ricci, that of wisteria has been enriched with 15 new varieties. Among these you can admire the Floribunda Violacea Plena, also known as Black Dragon, Double Wisteria or Wisteria of Japan, the only double-flowered wisteria known, in fact it produces flowers with double-triple row of petals from purple-violet to lilac; there Wisteria Frutescens Amethyst Falls, that is the American wisteria, with pointed and elegant leaves and clusters of amethyst-colored flowers so full and squat as to give the impression of being double; the Wisteria floribunda Hon-Beni o Floribunda Rosea, with a very abundant flowering and a delicate fragrance, with dark pink papilionaceous flowers; the Floribunda Lilac Rose, whose flowers have shades ranging from pink to lilac to purple; the Wisteria brachybotrys Shiro-Kapitan or white wisteria, which received the prestigious Garden Merit award from the Royal Horticultural Society; the flamboyant American wisteria Clara Mack and the Wisteria Murasaki Kapitan also known as “Silky Wisteria”, a great climber, she can grow in height from 3 to 7 meters, giving a wonderful scenographic show. www.giardinidivilladellapergola.com

Florence, a 70-meter tunnel in strong colors
In Florence, immersed in four hectares of wood, garden and orchard and with a spectacular panoramic view of the city, here is Villa Bardini, today an exhibition center of art and culture, managed by the CR Foundation of Florence, but once owned by the well-known antiquario Stefano Bardini, who collected a rich art collection there. The now famous wisteria pergola of Villa Bardini hosts three varieties that each year give the magic of a path with shades of lilac, purple and pink. 70 meters long and 4.5 meters wide, the pergola is a real colored tunnel where you can admire wisteria like the Black Dragonthe Japanese Royal Purple with a double purple and dark purple flower, the Showa Beni from the pink flower and the Wisteria Prolific, with large purple flowers. www.villabardini.it

Latina, for a walk in the garden of Ninfa
In Cisterna di Latina, at the gates of the Agro Pontino, the Garden of Ninfa, “among the most beautiful in the world” according to New York Times, extends for eight hectares and hosts about 1300 species of plants from all over the world and over one hundred species of birds registered. The name Ninfa derives from a Roman temple built near the current garden and dedicated to the gods of spring waters. Already in the sixteenth century, Cardinal Nicolò III Caetani, a lover of botany, wanted to create a “garden of delights” there, but the current configuration is thanks to Marguerite Chapin, who in the 1930s opened the doors of the garden to writers and artists , and of his daughter, Donna Lelia Caetani, who in 1972 established the Roffredo Caetani Foundation, which also aims to preserve the garden. Here it is possible to admire cascades of wisteria that are reflected on the river, among these different varieties of Floribunda (Rosea, Macrobotrys, Alba e Longest White) Chinese (Alba e Purpurea Showa Beni. www.giardinodininfa.eu

The wisteria staircase faces the lake
The lush botanical garden of Isola Madre, the largest of the islands of Lake Maggiore, houses one of the first and richest collections of wisteria made in Italy, over 20 species from America, China and Japan. It is about Wisteria sinensis, floribunda e brachybotris (China and Japan), while the American species is named Wisteria frutescens, late-flowered, very close to blue in color. The whole long staircase that leads from the lake to the chapel on Isola Madre is covered by arches on which colorful and fragrant clusters of white, lilac and purple wisteria climb, which bloom in the months of April and May. The Scala dei Glicini captures the view with a surprising and scenographic effect, and among the wonders housed in this romantic English park of eight hectares, wanted by Vitaliano IX Borromeo, we also point out the Millettia japonicanicknamed the red wisteria, still not very common in Italian gardens.

www.isoleborromee.it