The Lemon Garden, like the Water Theatre and the Green Theatre, forms part of what remains of the baroque layout given to the Park of Villa Reale by the Orsetti brothers in the 1600s. This splendid garden, painted in watercolours by the American artist John Singer Sargent in the 1900s, is spread over two levels and has over 200 citrus plants in antique terracotta pots. Each winter they are taken indoors to the lemon house to protect them from the cold.
Fountain of the Three Graces
A semicircle of rustic mosaics lies at the entrance to the garden, overlooked by Roman busts, the Orsetti coat of arms and the Fountain of the Three Graces. From here, you can see the lower area which consists of four lawned areas and magnificent examples of cone-shaped Magnolia grandiflora.
The upper area is dominated by an ancient fish pond and two marble statues of giants, which represent the Arno and Serchio rivers. A backdrop of smooth stone and tuff (volcanic rock) lies behind them, with a niche framing the marble sculpture of Leda and the Swan.
The modern lighting and irrigation systems and the new structural supports for the Villa’s hedges were the first works to be undertaken in this garden by the current owners.
