Follow the Ponte Romano in Verona to the east bank of the Adige River and you will find yourself in an oasis of peace and tranquility. Covered behind the facade of Via Giardino, the garden and palace of Giardino Giusti is one of the most amazing and charming secrets of the Italian Renaissance.
It is here that you will be enveloped in almost ringing silence, which will allow you to escape from the frantic pace of life, dusty Italian streets and expressive motorists who ring the horn almost all the time. Only when you find yourself in Giardino, Justy Verona, you will understand what he meant by his phrase "second paradise on earth" the English traveler Thomas Coryate, who visited here back in 1611.
Prince Agostino Giusti, who also held the title of Honorary Knight of the Republic of Venice, took an active part in the design of this charming garden adjacent to his palace.
The garden and park complex is decorated with numerous statues and fountains, made in accordance with the canons of the time, and meets its visitors with a front gate with graceful obelisks, from where a wonderful alley with tall trees stretches, which will lead you to an ancient grotto.
A frightening stone mask flaunts above the grotto, from which huge tongues of flame are about to burst. Giardino Giusti delighted the eyes of his masters already in 1570, and in the 1930s he underwent a major reconstruction and restoration.
In the western part of the beautiful park you can see an abundance of flowers and paved paths, as well as old citrus trees, which are located right next to the walls of the castle of Justi, built in the 12th century.
The warm air brings with it the aroma of lemons and oranges, inhaling which you will be transported several centuries ago and feel the atmosphere of those times when such guests of the Justi family as Cosimo Medici, Emperor Joseph II (Joseph II) walked around this amazing park Goethe and Mozart.
Today (due to the fact that Giardino Giusti is not included in the list of must-see sights in Verona) you are unlikely to meet many tourists in this paradise, most likely no one will disturb you while you enjoy privacy.
The terraces in Giardino Giusti were built in such a way that they had stunning views of Verona. The terraces on the upper and lower levels are strikingly different: for example, in one of them a young lady, who was visiting Prince Justy during the Renaissance, could hide and seek with her admirer, hiding between numerous green bushes, then from the second a couple in love could observe in a romantic setting for the life flowing below the city. By the way, according to legend, a couple who can find each other in the maze is destined to be together until the end of their days.
Opening hours and tickets
Giusti Gardens are located in Verona at: via Giardino Giusti, 2, 37129 Verona (VR).
Opening hours: from April to September from 9:30 to 20:00, from October to March from 9:00 to 19:00
Ticket price: 10 euros, with a tourist card Verona Card - 5 euros.
