Novezzina Botanical Garden Reopens with Monte Baldo Species
Today, the Novezzina botanical garden reopens to the public, including school groups and tourists. It collects and showcases numerous characteristic or exclusive floral species from Monte Baldo.
It is located in the Municipality of Ferrara, accessible from Caprino via the provincial road to Spiazzi and the Graziani road towards Novezza. The garden was inaugurated in 1989 and is dedicated to forest inspector Vittorio Pellegrini (1851-1927), the primary architect of Baldesi reforestation efforts.
Features and management of the botanical garden
“The botanical garden is a place where plants and flowers are collected and cultivated for educational, conservation, and scientific research purposes,” explains Director Vittorio Mascagno. “It is situated at 1,235 meters above sea level, within the Baldesi syncline, and covers approximately 20,000 square meters on the site of a former forest nursery managed by the Corpo forestale dello Stato until the 1970s.”
The garden is managed by the Montana Community of Baldo in collaboration with the Regional Forest Services and the Youth Tourist Center, which oversees its educational visits. It hosts native species from Monte Baldo, excluding imported species from other environments, aiming to recreate microhabitats as close as possible to their original conditions.
Species and educational trails
Approximately 500 species are already in place, with additional ones planned for future planting; each is described with a plaque displaying the family, genus, species, and the plant’s Italian name. Current blooms include primroses “bear’s ear” and “wonderful,” mountain violets, peonies, and Daphne, alongside numerous shrubs and trees emitting new leaves.
The garden also features an engaging guided trail with signs and panels illustrating Monte Baldo’s geographical, geological, and botanical characteristics, while new terraces under development will host more flowers and plants.
Educational route and opening hours
“This is an educational trail that comprises about ten wooden-benched stands, describing the vegetation zones such as ridge environments, meadows and pastures, summit rocks, nitrophilous and damp areas, mugwort, ferns, and pine forests,” explains CTG facilitator Elisa Fattorelli. The garden is currently open on holidays or by reservation; starting in June, it will be open daily for self-guided visits.
Although visiting with a CTG facilitator is recommended to fully appreciate the different blooms and discover the distinctive features of each species, guided tours are held on Saturday afternoons from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Visits are available to both Italian and international visitors and include projections, slides, and short excursions around the area, including mountain huts and the beech forest. For information about visiting the garden, contact the Novezzina refuge, phone 045.624.7065.