Lerici: Entrance ticket to Villa Rezzola

Villa Rezzola is an ancient stately home immersed in a large and lush terraced garden. Documented as early as the 18th century, it stands on medieval remains of military origin and was progressively enlarged and modernized over the following two centuries. In 1900, it was purchased by Helen Lavinia and William Percy Cochrane, who were responsible for most of the changes. The property passed to Countess Mara Braida Carnevale in 1935 and then to her daughter Maria Adele, known as Pupa, who lived here with her husband Piero Gualberto Miniati. Together, they decided to leave Villa Rezzola to the FAI (Fondo Ambiente Italiano) "so that it would be protected, enhanced, and made accessible to many visitors." From the terraces of the house, you can enjoy an exceptional view of the Poet's Gulf, which stretches from Lerici to Portovenere and which, since the 19th century, has won the hearts of a large number of writers and artists, from Shelley and Byron to Lawrence. Equally exceptional is the English garden: a long wisteria pergola runs through it, separating groves and cultivated areas – a rose garden, a vegetable garden, and an orchard – from a monumental lawn, crossed by a promenade, bordered by hedges with flower pots, and equipped with pools and fountains. Thanks to the solid organization of the botanical work, the complex water system, and the presence of specific buildings, the plants for the garden and the cut flowers are created and grown directly on site. Many different species provide shade in the park, rare and precious ones such as camphor and magnolia trees, but also cypresses, olive trees, and a holm oak forest that extends over terraces descending almost to the sea.