Behind Palazzo Pitti lies the magnificent Boboli Gardens.

It was the Medici family who envisioned and created the model of the Italian garden, which later became an example for many European courts.

Designed and laid out in a regular pattern, it is a true botanical manual, featuring lush evergreen vegetation. At the same time, it is also an open-air museum, populated with ancient and Renaissance statues, enriched by grottos—first and foremost the Buontalenti Grotto—and grand fountains such as those of Neptune, Ocean, and the one known as the “Artichoke.” At the center of the Amphitheater, built on the site of a quarry used in medieval times for extracting pietra forte stone, stands an original Egyptian obelisk. It comes from the city of Aswan and was carved during the reign of Ramses II, between 1297 and 1213 BC. It is one of the oldest monuments in Tuscany. The Medici also had a true passion for citrus fruits, cultivating and crossbreeding various species. Today, many of these historic citrus plants are preserved in the Boboli limonaia (orangery), built in 1778 by order of Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo.

Within Boboli, there is also a “secret garden”: the Camellia Garden. This hidden space, once reserved exclusively for select members of the grand ducal family during the Medici era, was transformed at the end of the 18th century into an elegant garden dedicated to the cultivation of camellias—plants that symbolize elegance and beauty.

The Camellia Garden is located between the southern wing of Palazzo Pitti and the Meridiana bastion, nestled between the private apartments of Prince Mattias de’ Medici and the garden itself. Camellia japonica is the most represented species, currently including 49 specimens across 37 varieties, some particularly remarkable for their size and colors. Among them is the splendid “Candidissima,” dating back to 1830, along with reintroduced cultivars such as “Alba Simplex,” “Lavinia Maggi,” “Oscar Borrini,” “Tricolor,” and “Rosa.”

Now, this enchanting corner of the Boboli Gardens, usually closed to the public, is reopening and will be accessible by reservation only, for groups of up to 15 people. Guided tours will take place on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays until April 13.