Nestled among the lush citrus groves spread over 60 hectares, the San Giuliano Garden has accompanied the late fifteenth-century complex of the fortified farm since 1974. The garden was awarded the 2013 Giardini Grand Prix.
Giardino di San Giuliano History
Halfway between Catania and Syracuse, immersed in sixty hectares of orange groves, is the property of the Marquis of San Giuliano, belonging to the family for over eight centuries. At the end of the 70s, the Marquis Giuseppe di San Giuliano, with his wife Fiamma Ferragamo, began to create a beautiful garden with tropical tones in three hectares of land inside the property, reflecting the seven years in which the Marquis he had lived in Brazil.
The park with green lawn that extends in front of the chapel and the main house, once a fortified farmhouse, houses a beautiful collection of palm trees including Brahea, Archontophoenix and Washingtonia. The shade is widely guaranteed by majestic specimens of Chorisia, the immense Phytolacca dioica and a collection of ficus which includes the magnificent Ficus australis with aerial roots. The enclosed courtyard houses a fine specimen of Ficus magnoliodes with its impressive root system. The pink lava walls are colored with bougainvillea and capers while the cobbled paths and the ancient vases of amphorae evoke the sense of history of the estate.
In recent years, the cactus and succulent garden, located at the main entrance, has been expanded to further expand the collection and offer the visitor a variety of shapes and colors.
In the most intimate Arab-inspired garden you can follow the interconnected "saie" water channels, an ingenious water system introduced by the Arabs to Sicily. Wandering through areas of tropical jungle, under pergolas covered with shady vines, along elegant mosaic paths and towards softer, more fragrant and flowery aromatic paths, you will discover exotic and hidden rooms. The breathtaking view that extends in the distance beyond the orange groves towards Etna is a real treat for the eyes.
Today San Giuliano preserves its agricultural heritage by biologically cultivating its citrus groves alongside the continuous care and development of the beautiful garden. In every season the garden offers different seductions. And if in spring you can admire the enchanting blooms, in summer the whole area is magically kissed by the splendid Sicilian sun, while in autumn you let yourself be conquered by the rebirth of nature after the summer heat.