Medieval Gardens, Perugia

The Medieval Gardens in Perugia offer a unique exploration of medieval symbolism and natural beauty, located near the historic Benedictine Monastery of San Pietro. Designed by Alessandro Menghini, a Professor of Pharmaceutical Botany at the University of Perugia, these gardens blend botany, spirituality, and history, creating a space that represents mankind's journey from sin to salvation.

At the heart of the garden lies a circular flowerbed, symbolizing perfection, with a towering magnolia grandiflora at its center representing the cosmic tree. The journey continues to an elliptical flowerbed, embodying the primordial cosmic egg and the Garden of Eden. Divided into four quadrants, each tied to one of the elements—Water, Fire, Earth, and Air—the garden intertwines zodiac signs and biblical plant references, emphasizing medieval beliefs in the spiritual properties of nature.

Highlights include a 300-year-old olive tree, the "tree of light and science," symbolizing nourishment and knowledge, and the Sacred Wood, featuring cypress, persimmon, and oak trees that evoke spiritual connection and redemption. Medicinal plants flourish in the Hortus Sanitatis, reflecting the monastic healing tradition, while the adjacent Hortus Holerorum showcases aromatic and culinary plants.

Numerology permeates the Pomarium, or orchard, with Fibonacci-inspired layouts celebrating natural perfection. The path ascends to the Podium, offering breathtaking views of Assisi, the Subasio Mountain, and the Umbrian Valley. Along the way, visitors encounter the mystical "Merlin wizard tree" and a carp-filled tank surrounded by monastic Theatrum stands.

The journey concludes with a passage through a medieval arch, once part of the Via Francigena pilgrimage route. Visitors climb the Yggdrasil-inspired path, symbolizing human effort towards salvation, and end at the water lily tank, whose oval shape and blossoms evoke purity, life, and divine creation.

The Medieval Gardens encapsulate the medieval vision of harmony between nature, spirituality, and humanity, making them a remarkable site for historical and contemplative experiences.