Giardini Margherita
The Giardini Margherita is undoubtedly the public park par excellence in Bologna, even though it is not the oldest. Located close to the historical centre and therefore easily accessible on foot or by public transport, the gardens are one of the city's most popular places, in all seasons.
Their construction started in 1874, following the purchase of the land by the Municipality of Bologna from the owner, Count Angelo Tattini. Designed by the Count of Sambuy, who had already worked in Turin, together with the architect of the municipality Tubertini, the park opened its doors to the public only five years later. During the works the tombs of a large Etruscan necropolis were found, which was excavated directly on site. Some of the travertine tombs are still visible today in the gardens, while others have been moved to the Archaeological Museum.
The choice of name was not accidental. Margherita was in fact queen and wife of Umberto I of Savoy, who ruled Italy at the time.
Giardini Margherita in the 20th century
From the year of its inauguration to the present day, the park has not changed much. Within its 26 hectares there is still the pond designed by Sambuy, where until a few decades ago one could rent small boats for a romantic ride and ice-skate in winter
At one time the park also housed a fountain, installed in 1888 on the occasion of the
Emilian agricultural and industrial exhibition of the same year and later moved to the
Montagnola Park. From the end of the 19th century, many events took place in the gardens (among them some car and horse races), which still today host market exhibitions and other annual events.
Speaking of works transferred from one place to another in the city, the Margherita Gardens also house the equestrian monument to Victor Emmanuel II, which until 1944 stood in the centre of Piazza Maggiore.
What to see in the park today
Various activities take place daily in the gardens, from walking to running, from aperitifs to coworking. Its
large avenues boast various species of plants and trees such as horse chestnuts, pines, cedars, oaks and many others.
There is also no shortage of
bars and meeting places, such as the chalet on the lake and the Serre dei Giardini Margherita, a multi-faceted summer venue created in the spaces of the park's old greenhouse.
Finally, the gardens are home to a
primary school, opened in the early 20th century for children in poor health, who could breathe better air here than in the city centre. Another special feature of the park was a zoo, now disappeared, which many Bolognese still remember with affection, even inhabited by two lions. Today, in their place stands the reconstruction of some huts from the Villanovan period, reproducing the typical dwellings of the local Etruscan civilisation.
