The Gardens of Peace

It was about seven years ago that I first saw a picture of the Boboli Gardens. It was right after my brother had traveled to Italy to visit a friend. Though it was a short trip for him he brought me back an authentic leather journal that still had the aroma that the fine leather retailers have, and many photos of this wondrous place called, Italy. There was one photo in particular that stood out, it was a mesh of blue hues and varying degrees of green, constructing a magnificent tree and pond that took up the whole frame. It looked so magical. Once he told me where the photo was taken, I was determined to see it, whenever that would be.

Upon finding out that I would be traveling to Italy this summer, I knew I had to visit this place that I only recognized through pictures. So after being in Florence, Italy, for a full week I finally got around to visiting the Boboli Gardens, which are conveniently located in the back of the Pitti Palace. Unfortunately for newcomers to the area, street signs in Florence can be very hard to find, similar to trying to find a fallen contact lens on a white floor. They are there, you just can’t see them, let alone read them. The silver lining to this is that despite Florence’s inability to have straight streets and clear signs, the Boboli Gardens were extremely easy to find, just South West on the main drag of the Ponte Vecchio.

I acquired my free ticket by showing my ufizzi card, I then stepped through the palace walls, past the grand amphitheater and then up archaic looking steps only to be transported into another world. The breadth of the open air and the grassy knolls felt like at least five or more football fields back to back. The immense size of the gardens alone will stop you in your tracks. Cosimo I’de Medici, the first Grand Duke of Tuscany, and his wife Eleonora di Toledo, purchased the ducal home and added onto the Gardens from the 17th till the 19th century. It became more or less an outdoor museum for them to show off their Roman statues. Besides the many statues that decorate the lawn and greet you as you embark up the hill and through the gardens, it is also home to stunning panoramic views, grandiose mythological fountains, grottos, hedges as tall as a giant and many paths leading you into hidden places.

As I stared out, I saw a tall stone pillar marking the center and a deep grey stone bathtub accompanying it, while white stone statues looked over the incoming tourists. Then the grass sloped up to a high tier where pebbled sidewalks led everyone deeper into the Gardens. I climbed and I climbed, gazing at the amount of foliage encircling the main walk way. Finally, after reaching a plateau I looked to my left and then to my right, each holding a different path for me to take. Like a giddy child I tried to decide which would take me where. I decided left, the path that looked less traveled. So, my feet carried me through winding gravel and towering trees with bushes that kissed the ground, first left then a quick turn right, then up another hill and then straight. I found myself on what could be a small balcony that overlooked all of Florence. I could see Santa Maria Novella, The Duomo, and further into the Tuscan hills. It was magnificent. I felt like a king overlooking his vast kingdom with pride and a sense of accomplishment. I proceeded to sit down on the balcony and watch the stillness of the city from above, knowing that it really wasn’t still and that people were buzzing, driving, honking, eating, gossiping down below, just beyond the walls of the Gardens.

As I sat in peace, I had a sense of mindfulness that overcame me. I felt that whether there is a God or not, someone, somewhere had done something right because never have I been able to sit still and think of only the beauty of a place, especially without my pestering thoughts taking over. The Gardens are not just a tourist attraction, it is a spiritual experience even for the agnostics and atheists. It changed me. For once I understood peace.

The Boboli Gardens are an experience that includes rich history, amazing views, and a feeling of purpose that cannot be matched. For anyone looking to enhance their vacation in Florence, Italy, I suggest wandering around aimlessly in the Boboli Gardens.