For a breathtaking view of Florence, nothing beats the picturesque Bardini Gardens. I took my daughter, Caterina, there one lovely spring day. To reach the gardens, we entered the Museum of Villa Bardini in the Oltrarno district and climbed the steps to the magical hillside garden.
From the panoramic terrace of the villa, the towers, domes and houses of Florence all seemed so close that Caterina reached out her hand, trying to touch them; yet the city traffic and noise seemed far, far away.
As we walked along the tree-lined driveway of the park, we reached the Kaffeehaus, a traditional 18th century loggia, to take a coffee and chocolate drink typical of the aristocracy. My daughter’s enthusiasm led her to prance around on the terrace in front of the Kaffeehaus, feeling free to run and fly like a butterfly!
We descended along a path leading under a 70-meter-long pergola of wisteria that blooms during May and June. These light purple pearly flowers gave out an intense fragrance and allowed us to be together there, so close to each other in a warm embrace.
We captured the magic of this moment in a photograph. We admired the spectacular Baroque staircase and the light filtering through the trees, the clouds and the sky, creating an optical illusion which changed the perspective of the landscape.
