HISTORIC GARDENS
The care, maintenance and preservation of the historical gardens of villas, castles, manor houses and stately homes is one of our key specialisms. Dellavalle Gardens devotes both passion and skill to the our delicate historical heritage, of which our region boasts a number of magnificent examples requiring painstaking restoration and appropriate maintenance. From the ancient gardens attached to aristocratic mansions to the fragrant flowerbeds enclosed within the silence of the cloisters, from the grand parks dedicated to the glory and recreation of princes to the municipal villas built during the last century to satisfy the needs of the city for green space... In Italy we are proud of our castles and grand stately villas where the descendents of the original family of the 17th and 18th centuries still reside, and the old mansions that today have been transformed into public buildings and venues: their magic must remain unaltered over time to give us the thrill of seeing and knowing the history to which they are witnesses. We commit ourselves to the care of historic gardens with respect, a profound knowledge of techniques and regulations and great operational experience.
OUR COMMITMENT
The maintenance of historic gardens is a fundamental operation which must be carried out continuously. The predominant subject is plant material and the overall work is only maintained in its ideal state with timely replacements and, in the long term, periodic renewal (felling and replanting of aged and/or damaged elements), whilst always ensuring the original appearance of the park in every context which must be preserved in the same way as the monuments it contains. The Dellavalle team analyses all components of the historic garden (architectural, botanical, water, geological, topographic, environmental, etc...) consulting, where necessary, documents and historical and literary sources, topographic and cadastral surveys, and other iconographic sources as well as using photo-interpretation and – where necessary – direct archaeological investigation.
AIMS OF RESTORATION
The analytical and comparative study necessitates the involvement of many specialist disciplines for the compiling of the lists of correct plant species from a historical, cultural and botanical point of view. This study is also necessary for the replacement of individual tree specimens, within the framework of the palimpsest concept of conservative restoration, i.e., the maintenance of existing species, which have been introduced over time and are thus historicised, never to be replaced incorrectly or randomly. The scientific analysis of the characteristics and specific problems of each historic site is essential to create a sense of continuity with the past or to give new life to run-down or degraded gardens, where it is necessary to reinvent a role for green spaces and for all the buildings that belong to it. A role that will be more capable of keeping the garden alive and unique, the more it is tied to the specific tradition and spirit of the place.
ENCHANTING SCENES
THE TASTE OF TIME
STYLE
FEATURES
01 / INFO
The landscape and architectural treasures that history has left us are wisely preserved and, where necessary, returned to health and order, protecting the work from the passage of time and preventing alterations or false histories that, as in the architectural field, create confusion and stylistic rupture. Dellavalle Gardens applies its philosophy of respect, skill, attention to the details of the styles related to the historical events that generated them even to this extremely delicate sector of landscape art.
BOTANICAL
RESTORATION
02 / INFO
Shrubs, trees and hedges that are already in situ are studied and analysed across the site by Dellavalle Gardens and are replaced with new specimens only where strictly necessary, in a conservationist spirit that maintains the general context’s most natural and realistically historical appearance. The species used in the past are still grown in the Dellavalle nurseries and therefore, with proper care, can replace diseased, damaged and excessively aged specimens which are, therefore, hazardous or aesthetically impoverished.
GRASS &
GRASS
03 / INFO
The lawns of historic gardens are a natural background for trees, hedges, architectural elements and sculptures. They are maintained with care and dedication, preserving them in the structural spaces that history has bequeathed us. Usually, the lawns of historical gardens are of a very dark green variety and are left to grow without drastic or excessive cutting. Dellavalle Gardens, thanks to its collaboration with specialist partners, is able to select varieties and mixes of seeds to faithfully restore an historical lawn which is too deteriorated and, therefore, in need of replacing, to regenerate its vitality and beauty.
AQUATIC
ELEMENTS
04 / INFO
Often within the historical gardens surrounding stately homes, ancient houses and castles, there are lakes, ponds and stretches of water with very natural banks and, sometimes, small islands with a small boat to reach them. Dellavalle Gardens can preserve these enchanting gems, thus maintaining the original meaning of the location: an oasis in which to lose yourself in meditation or daydreams. This same care is also reserved for fountains and water features that give the garden a romantic and enchanting appearance.
CARE &
MAINTENANCE
05 / INFO
This type of garden requires special care and dedication. This should never be overlooked, exactly because it is full of unique and irreplaceable elements, so that it does not lose its original form and the added value that history has given it. For the conservation of historic gardens, the “Working group for botanical and historical gardens”, a part of the Italian Botanical Society, was established by a group of its members some 40 years ago. It is an organisation recognised by the Ministry for the Environment and the Protection of the Land and Sea and acts as a coordinator at a national level and as a representative at the international level. Directives issued by this body are also received by Dellavalle Gardens for maintenance work.
