Parco Frassanelle - a private park near Padova.

Count Alberto Papafava (1832-1929) was an artist; a romantic landscape painter. His natural eye for perspective and color blending, combined with his knowledge and appreciation of nature. turned the garden into a success. Instead of a traditional canvas to paint landscapes; the landscape became his canvas.

Count Papafava's artistic eye created intimate areas of color and subtle beauty, which he contrasted with large fields exploding with wildflowers in the spring and bursting with green in the summer. Purples and greens, pinks and yellows, sun and shade in perfect natural harmony.

Count Papafava's artistic eye created intimate areas of color and subtle beauty, which he contrasted with large fields exploding with wildflowers in the spring and bursting with green in the summer. Purples and greens, pinks and yellows, sun and shade in perfect natural harmony. 

One of the highlights of the park is Villa Frassanelle. The villa is neoclassical in style and was built in 1822, on the site of a prior hunting lodge., it was one of the first buildings with an indoor plumbing system.  (2)

A beautiful outdoor staircase leads to the villa from the park entrance; reminiscent of grand indoor stairways in the foyers of mansions. The green canopy provides the perfect invitation to visit; nature's pillars of green trees line the path providing drama and elegance to the villa at the top

At the top the impressive building demands attention.

The villa is open for tours by appointment, but no photography is allowed inside.

Two oratories are situated opposite each other on the far side of the villa garden. The chapel on the west side has existed since the 7th century the other was added to balance the vista when the villa was established.

Two oratories are situated opposite each other on the far side of the villa garden. The chapel on the west side has existed since the 7th century the other was added to balance the vista when the villa was established.

There is a secret under the villa. Count Papafava decided that the park needed something extra, so he spent seven years designing and building an elaborate cave under the villa, to replicate the natural ones in the area. The natural caves were considered too dangerous to visit safely and even now can only be visited by expert speleologists. But Count Papafava wanted to share the majesty of the local caves with everyone so he designed a grotto under the villa, which would be accessible to visitors.

Inside the grotto; you will follow arrows on a fun and fascinating route which winds through the limestone.

The grotto features a subterranean lake which serves as a natural mirror to the ceiling and walls.

Following the arrows you will walk up limestone stairways ..... and discover impressive rock formations.

There is even a secret room. Be sure to ask the park attendant if you cannot find it. We needed her guidance as the entrance is indeed hidden as you can see by the photo on the right below which are the stairs to the secret room..

The grotto gardens are also impressive when we visited in late April it was framed by cascading wisteria and perfect peonies. The combined fragrance was beautiful.

After walking through the villa complex and the grotto take time to explore the paths on and around the hill. In many areas, you can bring a blanket to enjoy the sun or a picnic. There is no time limit to your ticket as long as you leave by closing time.

Whether you bring a blanket to seek out the perfect spot or are just enjoying the paths, you will discover the perfect balance of sun and shade and a complimentary palate of colors.

Remember you are walking through an artist's natural canvas. Inhabiting a realtime 3D masterpiece, if only for an hour or two.

When you finally make your way back down, find the pond close to the entrance complex. Look close to the ground near the edge of the water and you will find something else fascinating. Look for the formations which look like fairy cities; complete with small skyscrapers and cathedrals. They are actually part of the surrounding cypress trees root system, commonly known as knees.

The common hypothesis is that the tree grows its roots above ground when it is in an area which can be permanently or during flooding or high tides covered in water because roots need to 'breath' something they can do in soil but not in water. Another hypothesis is that the top of the knees let out methane gas found in swamps and pools of water. This type of methane is not lethal to the tree but is not needed so is simply released into the air. Other scientists theorize that the knees are for structural aid. A kind of mechanical structure to stiffen and straighten the roots and provide anchorage strength to the area of horizontal root and vertical tree. None of these theories have been entirely proven and their formation remains a mystery, maybe even a solution for an environmental problem of the past? (1) 

Whatever the reason for the evolution of the knees, they provide the surrounding woods with another natural gem. A mysterious phenomenon of nature. Personally I would like to leave the reason for them to the imagination of a child; fairy cities or a procession of gnomes frozen in time.

Park Frassenelle is full of places to sit and relax; you are encouraged to bring in snacks or you can purchase ice cream, drinks and local products from a small cafe, or simply sit with friends and enjoy the surroundings

The park hosts weddings, has a hotel, a golf course and camping area.

After enjoying a lovely afternoon in this privately owned park and reading the story about the designer; I was reminded that every day, we are walking through a realtime 3D canvas. Whether the scenery is urban or rural, if we treat are day as though we have tickets to a museum filled with art; we can really discover the essence of this website and become a privileged tourist in our daily lives. 

Open your eyes to what surrounds you, admire the color palate and observe how the choice of colors makes you feel. Do the colors of the city make you feel sad or excited? Do the plantings in the park make you feel energized or relaxed? Why? Look at the way the sun and shade transform the areas in your view, artists use sun and shade to provide perspective and guide the observer to points on the canvas. Would your perspective of the view you are observing be different at a different time of day if the sun hit different objects ? Would you like the view more or less ? 

(1) https://www.frassanelle.com/private-park/

(2) https://www.frassanelle.com/private-park/the-villa/

(3) https://www.frassanelle.com/private-park/grottoes/

(4) https://arboretum.harvard.edu/stories/cypress-knees-an-enduring-enigma/

Additional Information:

Website: Villa Frassanelle

Opening times

The park is open every Saturday, Sunday and Italian Public Holidays from April 30th to November 29th. There is no requirement to book - but you can book HERE

Sunday and Italian Public Holidays:

Villa and Grottoes: from 10:30 to 18:00

Park: from 10:00 to sunset

Saturdays:

Grottoes open in the afternoon upon request

Park: from 10:00 to sunset

Rates

Entrance to Park and Villa

Adults: € 11,00

Children from 4 to 12 years: € 5,50

Children up to 3 years: free

Entrance to park, Villa and Grotto. 

Adults: € 13,00

Children from 4 to 12 years: € 6,50

Children up to 3 years: free

Dogs are allowed in the park but not the Villa or Grotto.

Below the author and her family at the park on a sunny day in April.