Rare plants, enchanting ruins and the tinkle of waterfalls: the English-style botanical oasis of Ninfa near Rome is a secret idyll billed as “the world’s most romantic garden”.
The exquisite garden dates back to the late 19th century when the aristocratic Caetani family took over lands deserted for centuries including Ninfa, a town that was abandoned in the Middle Ages.
The town once had 150 homes and seven churches — a stopping off point for pilgrims and merchants on the ancient Roman Appian Way — but was ravaged by a civil war before becoming an artistic haven.
“Ninfa is not just a garden, it is a long cultural history,” said Lauro Marchetti, head of the Roffredo Caetani Foundation, which manages the garden some 70 kilometres (44 miles) from Rome.
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