Villa Taranto is the botanical masterpiece created by the captain Neil Mc Eacharn, who transformed a property on Lake Maggiore into an English garden inspired by his Scotland.
Purchased in 1931, the estate was enriched with thousands of rare plants from all over the world, harmonizing aesthetic and botanical needs. With imposing works, Valletta were built, the terraced gardens, fountains, water games and greenhouses. Donata to the Italian state, Villa Taranto is today an important botanical heritage with over 20,000 species and welcomes thousands of visitors every year, enchanted by its extraordinary beauty, but it cannot be visited because it is home to the prefecture of the province of Verbano Cusio Ossola.
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The story of the captain
The captain Neil Boyd Mc Eacharn, born in Scotland in 1884, came from a wealthy family with interest in navigation, mines and land in Australia. His passion for botanist was born after the first trip to Italy at the age of eight. In 1930 he bought the property “La Crocetta” in Pallanza, transforming it into an extraordinary garden with plants from all over the world. Forced to leave Italy in 1939, he donated the property to the state. Returning after the war, he opened the gardens to the public. He died in 1964 in his beloved Villa Taranto, awarded the honorary citizenship of Verbania.
The botanical gardens of Villa Taranto
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Access to the gardens of Villa Taranto takes place both from the Imbarcadero (Scalo Villa Taranto) and from the road that connects Pallanza to Intra. Near the entrance, around a large free parking, there are the ticket office, the bookshop and the bar-restaurant.
Herbarium
The former concierge of the Botanical Gardens, a refined eclectic -style building, houses a unique collection of “natural paintings”. Here you can admire the Britannicum Erbarium of the captain Neil Mc Eacharn, a collection of 43 teche containing spontaneous species of the British flora. The champions, collected, classified and cataloged in 1929 by Henry Cocker, the first gardener of Villa Taranto, testify to the botanical passion and the meticulous scientific work of the founder.
Wellness Garden
This is an area dedicated to relaxation and well -being, where luxuriant nature combines with the tranquility of green spaces, an ideal corner for refreshment and meditation.
The entrance avenue
The suggestive viale delle Conifere welcomes visitors with a spectacular sequence of rare conifers, coming from every corner of the world. This shaded and majestic path introduces the visitor in the botany and landscape wealth of the gardens.
Fountain of putti
Located in a continuous transformation floral frame, this fountain takes its name from the sculptures of putti who decorate it. In the spring it is surrounded by delicate cuckold and obconical primrose, while in the summer it is wrapped in the gigantic leaves of Colocasia Antiquorum, known as “Elephant ears”, for its exotic and imposing appearance.
The labyrinth of the Dahlie
From July until autumn, the labyrinth of the Dahlie offers an extraordinary show, with over 1,700 plants in bloom. Among the 350 varieties, the decorative Dahlie with large flowers stand out, the small pompons, with their delicate spherical leaders, and the spectacular Emery Paul, with intense shades of grenade red.
The Victoria Serra and the vertical garden
Victoria Cruziana, coming from Paraguay and Argentina, is the queen of aquatic plants cultivated in the greenhouse. Its huge floating sheets, which reach two meters in diameter, can support up to 10 kg of weight. At Villa Taranto, his seeds arrived in 1956 from the Botanical Garden of Stockholm and since then it has been one of the most fascinating attractions, visible to the public from June to October. Against the background of the greenhouse there is the vertical garden, a suggestive plant structure where plants and flowers root on panels of fibrous material, creating a fascinating natural scenario.
The mausoleum
Realized in 1965, on a project by Professor Renato Bonazzi, the Mausoleum holds the remains of the captain Neil Mc Eacharn, who wanted to rest in the gardens that he considered his “reason for life”. The splendid polychrome windows, the work of Paolo Rivetta, represent flowers and, in the center, the image of Sant’Antonio da Padova, to whom the chapel is dedicated.
The valley
Artificially dug in 1935, Valletta is crossed by an elegant single arch bridge, 35 meters long. The rich botanist furniture includes arboreal ginestree, spectacular cotoneaster horizontalis waterfalls and fascinating wrapped Davidia, also known as “tissue tree”, for its curious white inflorescences.
The villa
Purchased in 1931 thanks to an announcement on the Times, the villa is inspired by the Norman architecture and was designed by the Ticinese architect Augusto Guidini in 1853. The English lawn that surrounds it is embellished with a lively gushing fountain. Since 1995, the villa has no longer been open, as a headquarters of the Verbano-Cusio-Ossola Prefecture.
The terraced gardens
One of the most enchanting corners of the gardens of Villa Taranto, where waterfalls and water games alternate with flowery flower beds in a harmonious balance of shapes and colors. In this scenario stands the bronze statue of the fisherman, the work of the sculptor Vincenzo Gemito.
Petalo Pavillon
An ideal panoramic area for relaxing, with a suggestive view of the terraced gardens and the majestic Pennine Alps.
Loto’s Fior
A sinuous water pelvis welcomes the Nelumbo Nucifera, better known as Fior di Loto. This flower, sacred to Buddhism and symbol of India, fascinates with its fleshy and fragrant petals, with delicate pink shades. The leaves, 50-60 cm in diameter, are completely waterproof and rise up to 1.5 meters above the water level.
Cornus Florida Rubra and Davidia Involucrata
In spring, between April and May, these plants offer a unique show in Europe: the branches are completely covered with flowers, creating an extraordinary scenographic effect. The specimen of Davidia Involucrata, planted in 1938 by the infant of Spain, reached considerable size. Its common name, “tissue tree”, derives from the characteristic white flowering, which recalls soft flaps of fabric suspended between the branches.
Useful information for visiting the gardens
The gardens of Villa Taranto are open every day, holidays included, with continuous hours. The opening period runs from 13 March to 2 November, with variations of timetables depending on the season. The last entrance is always an hour before closing the gates. The recommended duration of the visit varies from one to two hours.
Tickets and rates
Free admission
