Giardino botanico di Gaeta
In 1987, Nicola Del Roscio promoted the creation of a botanical garden on his property in Monte Orlando di Gaeta, consisting of 13 terraces sloping down towards the Gulf of Gaeta, covering approximately 2 hectares and consisting mainly of tropical and sub-tropical botanical species, many of which are rare and endangered in their countries of origin.
The uniqueness of the collection lies in its 140 different species of palm trees, originating from seeds collected during business trips or holidays across different continents. The garden began as an experimental research project for the acclimatisation of palm trees.
The garden has a very delicate balance, due to the rarity of the species and the terraced conformation of the land. Experimentation continues to this day. The Foundation finances the maintenance and improvement of the botanical garden.
Since spring 2015, the garden has been open for guided tours to a limited audience of FAI members and school groups. In the future, the botanical garden will be open to a limited audience during the spring season due to the delicate balance of the garden.
In spring 2015, several newspaper articles were published on the occasion of the FAI open days, with a television interview on the third channel of public television. In March 2015, the New York Times devoted eight pages to the history of the owner and the garden. The magazine Double (Paris/London) devoted 18 pages to a review of the botanical garden in its autumn/winter 2020 edition. The Nicola Del Roscio Foundation is in the process of printing a book with notes, historical information, botanical information, suggestions and experiences about the garden.
The Botanical Garden is maintained without the use of disinfectants or chemical fertilisers.
The plants are watered using rainwater collected in zinc containers.
Restoration of land owned by the Municipality of Gaeta, bordering Nicola Del Roscio’s botanical garden.
This is land expropriated by the Municipality of Gaeta after the demolition of various illegal buildings. Environmental restoration began in 2014, paying rent to the Municipality of Gaeta, and consisted of removing numerous concrete debris, iron rods, various rubbish, restoring rainwater drainage and terrace walls. Approximately 800 bushes of various species of Mediterranean scrub were planted, mainly melliferous, for birds, butterflies, etc.
The Nicola Del Roscio Foundation’s Botanical Garden in Gaeta was featured in an episode of the programme Bell’Italia In Viaggio, broadcast on La7 on 15 June 2024. The well-known programme, now in its fourth season, sees Fabio Troiano recounting the excellence of our country through its scenic, cultural and artistic beauty.
In its June 2024 issue, the well-known magazine Gardenia dedicates a long article to the botanical garden, entitled Il mondo in un giardino