Ducal Garden

first records of a garden surrounding the Reggia of Colorno, wanted by Roberto Sanseverino, date back to 1480.

At the beginning of 18th century Francesco Farnese transformed it in a huge park, an interesting mixture of an Italian and a French garden designed by Ferdinando Galli Bibiena.
However, in the first half of the same century, Ennemond-Alexandre Petitot would modernize it following the dictates of French culture.
In 1816 Marie Louise from Austria shaped it as an English garden but after the union of Italy a slow and inexorable decay got hold of the park, which was at last bombed during Second World war.
Nowadays, thanks to recent restoration works, the park looks like an elegant French garden again and every Spring it plays host to an exhibition of flowers called Nel segno del Giglio.