The Garden of Nymph is located in Lazio and precisely in Cisterna di Latina, in the homonymous province. It was built by the noble Roman family Caetani in the twenties of the last century on the area where the medieval town of Ninfa stood. The garden covers 8 hectares among the vestiges of the ancient town and its over 1300 plants make it one of the most important historical gardens in Italy.
Brief history of the medieval town of Ninfa
The history of the Garden of Ninfa is linked to the story of the town of the same name.
Founded by the Romans around the eighth century AD, it took its name from the Nymphs of fresh water, venerated both by the ancient Greeks and by the Romans.
The ancients believed that the Nymphs lived near water sources, springs, rivers and usually the Greeks and the Romans, in the place where water surfaced, they built the Nymphaeum, a small temple dedicated to the worship of gods and of course Ninfa also had its Nymphaeum.
The medieval town had a complex and troubled history, which saw it the protagonist of destructive fratricidal struggles.
Ninfa had a strategic position for the passage of people and goods, in fact, merchants and ordinary citizens had to pay a toll; soon the town became greatly enriched, became a very lively and flourishing center of ancient Lazio and at the peak of its splendor, was full of churches and towers.
In the city there were fourteen churches, both inside and outside the walls, its defensive walls were interspersed with towers with a square base.
The fortress, with its towers, was built to defend itself from the raids of the Saracens who continually looted the coasts and the interior of the territory of the Italian peninsula.
Today only the ruins of these churches remain, including those of Santa Maria Maggiore, the most important church of the medieval Nymph.
In the eleventh century Ninfa became the property of the Counts of Tuscolo and in the twelfth century it passed to the Frangipane nobles.
The latter offered hospitality to the fugitive Cardinal Rolando Bandinelli, and when the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa discovered it, he decided to punish the town of Ninfa by destroying it.
The Frangipani rebuilt Ninfa and the town passed first to the Counts of Ceccano and then, in 1230, it passed to the Annibaldi family.
The complete reconstruction of Ninfa took place under the rule of the Caetani in 1297, when Pietro Caetani, nephew of Pope Boniface VIII, bought from the Annibaldi the town of Ninfa for two hundred thousand gold florins.
The tower near the lake was erected, churches and houses grew, a dam was built to collect water.
The purchase of the fief by the Caetani family had a dual purpose: to increase their wealth and to unite in a single feud a territory divided by bitter struggles.
Unfortunately, even the noble Caetani divided into two branches in struggle with each other: that of the Caetani of Fondi and that of Sermoneta.
The continuous struggles of the branch of Sermoneta with neighboring countries such as Velletri, Sezze and Cori influenced the inexorable decay of Ninfa and in 1381 the town was sacked and brutally destroyed.
Few inhabitants remained, simple peasants who finally abandoned Ninfa, consigning it to oblivion.
Foto : Unsplash
Birth of the Garden of Nymph
Only towards the end of 1800 the Caetani returned to their possession of Ninfa: they reclaimed the marshes, removed most of the weeds that covered the ruins, planted the first cypresses, oaks, beeches, roses in large numbers, and restored some ruins, creating an English-style garden with a romantic and wild look.
First began this environmental recovery prince Gelasio Caetani in 1921, under the expert guidance of his mother, a British woman who had already built a botanical garden in Foligno.
Then, around 1930, thanks to the sensitivity of Roffredo Caetani, brother of Gelasio and his wife Marguerite Chapin, the garden began to acquire that charm that today differentiates it: a spontaneous, informal garden, without an established geometry. The work of recovery and creation of the Garden was carried out by their daughter Leila, the last descendant of the Caetani of Sermoneta.
Of course, to maintain the wild and romantic nature of the Garden, the commitment of many people was necessary and in 1979 the Roffredo Caetani Foundation was established, a non-profit organization founded to preserve and care for the Garden of Nymph.
Its mission is still today to promote the preservation and enhancement of the cultural and artistic heritage linked to the Caetani family and the surrounding area, including the Garden of Ninfa. The Roffredo Caetani Foundation also manages the National Museum of Ninfa, located at the Castle of Sermoneta, the Park of Pantanello, the Castle Caetani.
The Garden of Ninfa was declared a national monument in 2000, when it was recognized as a site of particular historical, artistic and naturalistic interest. The declaration helped to protect and preserve this exceptional historic garden and its natural environment.
The Garden of Ninfa is the protected area created by the Caetani family, on the ruins of the homonymous disappeared city, a splendid example of medieval ruins and natural environment that harmonize each other.
The Ninfa Garden is therefore an extraordinary and fascinating place that offers a variety of natural and historical attractions.
Here is what the tourist can see in the Garden of Nymph:
A varied presence of fauna, native and exotic flora, can be admired in the garden of eight hectares. There are over 1300 species of plants, including nineteen varieties of magnolia, birch, aquatic iris and Japanese maples. In spring, the ornamental cherries bloom creating an extraordinary, poetic and magical atmosphere.
Since 1976, a WWF and LIPU Oasis has been established to support the flora and fauna of this unique place.In this oasis, passes one of the main migratory routes crossed by birds from Africa that then move to various European countries.
In the area there have been arrivals of various species including: mallards, herons, teal lapwings, hemp and some species of birds of prey.
The river Ninfa runs through the Garden and adds eternal charm and beauty to the surrounding landscape. Along its banks rise some medieval ruins of Ninfa, and is crossed by the bridge called the Slaughterhouse, dating from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.
The medieval ruins Ninfa are one of the most original and distinctive features of the Garden. Tourists can explore during the visit the ruins of churches, towers, walls and other structures, which add to the Garden a mysterious atmosphere of the past.
Of this ancient church today remains only the apse, with still recognizable two frescoes. Other frescoes of the church have been detached and are visible in the Caetani Castle of Sermoneta.
It should be remembered that the town of Ninfa, at the height of its splendor, had fourteen churches, both inside and outside the walls; then hospitals, towers, over one hundred and fifty civil houses equipped with attic and barn, mills, a castle and bridges that crossed the river Ninfa.
Unfortunately, little of its past splendour remains today, but the surviving vestiges give the Garden that romantic, unforgettable and enchanting air that attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world every year.
Foto : Unsplash
How to reach the Garden of Ninfa
Il Giardino di Ninfa is located in Cisterna di Latina, in Via Provinciale Ninfina 68, and borders the municipalities of Norma and Sermoneta.
The area is not served by public transport and can only be reached by public transport, or for those who choose the train, get off at Latina Scalo train station and then take a taxi.
Entrance to the Garden is subject to a fee and entrance tickets can also be purchased online.
To preserve the biodiversity of the Garden, the openings are scheduled during the year, and for the times of the visits and openings of the garden it is advisable to inquire directly on the website of the Garden of Ninfa easily available online.
The tours inside the Garden are guided and last about an hour.
Copertina: Unsplash
Autore: Rosa Garofalo
