Boboli

Boboli Gardens, or Giardino di Boboli, is a historic public park in Florence, Italy, situated behind the Pitti Palace in the Oltrarno district. It forms the rear part of the Palazzo Pitti complex and serves as one of the city’s principal examples of Italian garden design, illustrating the transition from Renaissance to grand ducal landscaping and, later, to influences from the English landscape style.

The gardens were begun in the mid-16th century for Cosimo I de’ Medici, with design work by Niccolò Tribolo and overseen by Eleonora di Toledo. They were expanded and refined by later hands, including Bernardo Buontalenti, who created the Buontalenti Grotto and several decorative features. Over the centuries the garden was enriched with terraces, fountains, statues, and grottoes, transforming from a private court garden into a public cultural site. By the 18th century, Boboli had become a model for formal and scenic garden design and was increasingly opened to visitors.

Layout and features are organized along a central axis that runs from the Palazzo Pitti outward into terraced slopes, with extensive lawns, staircases, and shaded avenues. The garden contains a collection of classical and Renaissance sculptures, fountains, and grottoes, with the Buontalenti Grotto as a highlight. The Boboli Gardens are part of the Historic Centre of Florence, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and remain a major urban park and open-air museum.

Access is via the Palazzo Pitti complex; tickets cover the gardens and museums, and visiting hours vary by season.