A Close Look at the Parco Sigurtà Attractions
Owned by the Sigurtà family, Parco Sigurtà is the perfect escape for those looking to spend a day surrounded by nature. Here you can explore 150 acres of landscaped gardens, vast green lawns, annual seasonal flowerings of tulips, roses, and more. Read on to find out about all the attractions in the park.
About Parco Sigurtà
- Opened to the public in 1978, Parco Sigurtà has since become a major attraction for those looking for a great picnic spot or a picturesque nature outing.
- Spanning over 60 hectares, the park is home to water gardens, unique plants, a medicinal garden, an avenue of roses, and even its own farm!
- Within the park, you will also find kiosks and restaurants serving a wide variety of foods, or areas to lay back and enjoy your packed lunches.
- The park is extremely accessible, and there are numerous ways to get around, including by bicycle or on a golf cart.
How to Explore Parco Sigurtà
Parco Sigurtà is a ticketed attraction, which means that
The park is open from 6 March to 13 November 2022, and you can enter any time between 9 AM to 7 PM (April - September) and until 6 PM in the months of March, October, and November.
The best way to get your Parco Sigurtà tickets is to buy them online. You will be able to get amazing deals and make advanced bookings. And, it also gives you the chance to avail yourself of discounts and many additional benefits.
Parco Sigurta can be explored on foot, aboard the park train, by cycling, or by renting a golf cart.
Parco Sigurtà Attractions
The Avenue of the Roses
A kilometer-long path in the park that is lined with almost 30,000 varieties of roses. They bloom every spring and summer between March and June, making the park every botanist's dream destination.
The Maze
Opened in 2011, this labyrinth is made of a hedge of over 1,500 Yew trees over 2m high. It stretches over an area of 2,500 square meters and, at the center of the maze, there is a pagoda with panoramic views.
The Panoramic Walk
One of the most picturesque areas of the park, where you can see the wide variety of trees in the garden. From Japanese maples to pines and cypresses, experience their varying shades of green, yellow, and gold.
The Great Lawn
Also known as the Great Turf, this large expansive lawn seems to spread as far as the eye can see. The area also has a wooded area, two ponds, both tastefully filled with blooming flowers, and the great oak.
The Great Oak
As the name suggests, the Great Oak is one of the oldest and largest trees in the garden. This fine example of an English Oak is almost 400-year-old and stands at over 40m tall, with a 6-meter round trunk.
The Surreally Shaped Box Trees
At the foot of the Great Lawn, you will find close to 40,000 box-shaped trees. These trees have been pruned into unusual and bizarre shapes, very unlike those found in traditional Italian gardens.
The Water Gardens
There are over 80 ornamental lakes within the park, including the famous water garden. It is known for the reflection of the Scaligero Castle, and during Tulipanomania, features colorful rotating tulip beds.
The Hermitage
This building was originally built in 1792 by Marquis Antonio Maffei, and it overlooks the grotto. Outside the building are flowers that bloom in the spring, but offer a range of colors in the off-seasons as well.
The Votive Grotto
Originally called Gianna's Grotto, this man-made picturesque cave was made with natural stones and numerous embedded fossils for Marquis Maffei. It was later dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes in 1942.
The Castelletto
Built at the end of the 18th century by Marquis Maffei, the building was initially used as an armory. It later became a place for intellectuals to gather and is now used to host press conferences and private meetings.
The Romeo and Juliet Horizontal Sundial
One of the oldest ways to tell time, the sundial in Parco Sigurtà was created in 1990. It consists of various geometrical carvings and representations of the sun and was dedicated to Galileo Galilei.
The Medicinal Herb Garden
While most flowers, plants, and trees in the park are ornamental, there is an area dedicated to therapeutic and medicinal plants. This herb garden hosts close to 40 healing plants as well as a few statues.
The Dog Cemetery
Near the Hermitage is a quiet area that is the final resting place of the faithful pet dogs once belonging to the Sigurtà family. It sits near a pond filled with white lilies as a mark of remembrance.
The Bronze Statue of Carlo Sigurtà
Created by sculptor Dante Carpigiani, this bronze statue of Carlo Sigurtà stands almost 3.4m tall. The statue is an almost life-like replica of its subject, all the way down to the Box wood walking stick.
The Stone of Eternal Youth
Near the statue of Dr. Sigurtà and surrounded by centuries-old Box plants, is a rock featuring the words of life and hope by the American poet Samuel Ullman and those of Albert Bruce Sabin.
The Lover's Bench
The most quintessential symbol of love is the red rose. To honor this, the park dedicated a special corner of its grounds to love in all shapes and sizes, with a bench surrounded by fabulous rustic red roses.
The Farm
There is an agricultural area of the park with an educational farm where one can get familiar with all kinds of farmyard animals, including sheep, donkeys, goats, chickens, turkeys, and ducks.
The Fallow Deer Valley
There is a special area reserved in a park with a pasture of land where fallow deer live, mate, and eat. You will hear the occasional clash of antlers against each other, in a mating fight to gain the female’s attention.
Additional Information About Parco Sigurtà
Parco Sigurta was originally landscaped under Marquis Antonio Maffei (1759-1836), at the suggestion of his nephew Ippolito Pindemont.
It was transformed into an “English Garden” as an idealized view of nature, and enhanced with a few monuments, such as the Hermitage and Casteletto.
In the 1940s, Dr. Giuseppe Carlo Sigurtà restored and expanded the gardens, highlighting the existing ancient trees and box bushes. His descendants continued this work, adding the Horizontal Sundial and the Maze.
They have also expanded the tulips, transforming them into a show of a million bulbs that are regarded as among the most important in Europe.
Getting to Parco SigurtàVisitor Tips
- The park is extremely accessible, as there are various modes of transport to explore. You can go on foot, rent bicycles, ride in golf carts, or hop on the guided park train.
- The garden hosts various events throughout the year. It gets especially crowded during events such as Children's Day and Halloween.
- In case of planned group or educational trips, reservations can be made in advance that would include meals for the group, as well as guided tours of the garden.
- Packed lunches can be taken into the park, and you can enjoy it at the restaurant tables, or bring your own blanket to lay on the grass.
- Activities such as barbecues, lighting fires, use of folding chairs and tables, etc. are not allowed in the garden.
- Pets are not allowed in with the exception of guide dogs, but there is a special arrangement with two nearby kennels
- There are four free car parks located just outside the Gardens, as well as a point for recharging electric cars.
- The park is strict about maintaining cleanliness, and littering is forbidden.
- Parco Sigurtà also hosts private events such as wedding ceremonies and business events on request.
Frequently Asked Questions About Parco Sigurtà Attractions
A. The garden spans 60 hectares and is covered with millions of unique flowers, lakes, ancient trees, many monuments, and restaurants.
A. Yes. You can walk around, ride a bicycle, opt to ride on the panoramic train, or rent a golf cart, to explore the park and see its attractions.
A. Parco Sigurtà spans an area of 60 hectares (150 acres).
A. The Maze, Avenue of Roses, and the Great Oak are some of the great sights in the park.
A. Visitors must buy tickets to enter Parco Sigurtà. Once inside you can explore the park on foot or on personal/rented bicycles. Visitors can also rent golf carts.
A. Yes, all visitors are required to purchase a ticket to enter Parco Sigurtà.
A. All attractions within the park are open to ticket holders. No separate ticket is required.
A. No, tickets to enter the park start at starting from €8.50 for children, and €15.50 for adults, though discounts are available
A. Yes, you can click pictures within the park. However, drone usage and commercial photography must be pre-approved.
A. Parco Sigurtà is located in the village of Valeggio sul Mincio, close to the city of Verona.
A. Parco Sigurtà is highly accessible by personal or public transport. Car or taxi is the fastest way to reach, however, the public bus is the most economical.
A. The park is open from 6 March 2022 -13 November 2022. Its opening hours are 9 AM - 7 PM. For March, October, and November, opening hours are 9 AM - 6 PM.
A. Yes, there are five eateries within Parco Sigurtà, each with different operating seasons.
