FAI Spring Days – Giardino Incantato in Massa

A secret garden at the foot of the Apuan Alps

The FAI Spring Days are the major annual event through which the FAI - National Trust for Italy opens usually inaccessible sites to the public, fostering appreciation for the country's cultural and landscape heritage. In Massa, in the province of Massa-Carrara and in the heart of the Apuan Tuscany, the local FAI group proposes the extraordinary opening of Il Giardino Incantato, the botanical residence of the Lorenzetti family in the Santa Lucia area.

The history of the Giardino Incantato

The garden was born in 1965 from the passion of Franco and Anna Maria Lorenzetti, on land owned by the family since 1874. What was once a vegetable and fruit garden has transformed over the years into a true botanical garden, thanks above all to Anna Maria's love for antique camellias. Today, their children Ernesto and Luca preserve and pass on this heritage in a place that benefits from a microclimate protected by the Apuan Alps and its proximity to the sea.

Camellias, botany, and art

The heart of the garden is the extraordinary collection of over 500 camellias, belonging to more than seventy different species, including rare varieties with yellow flowers. Blooms occur throughout the year, even in winter, following the rhythm of the seasons. Alongside the camellias grow ginkgo biloba, Japanese maples, flowering cherries, azaleas, hydrangeas, and magnolias. Scattered along the paths are marble and iron sculptures created by engineer Franco Lorenzetti, making the garden a small open-air museum where art and nature converse endlessly.

The FAI Days itinerary

For the FAI Spring Days, the garden offers an itinerary dedicated to camellias between nature and art, with guided tours led by FAI volunteers and Apprendisti Ciceroni (student guides) who share the botanical and artistic history of the site. Visits take place in small groups to preserve the peace and beauty of the surroundings. FAI members are also offered a special route in the nearby Borgo del Ponte, featuring medieval alleys, the church of San Martino, and other historical landmarks in the city of Massa.

Why participate

• Visit a private garden normally closed to the public
• Admire one of the richest camellia collections in Tuscany
• Discover the marble and iron sculptures by Franco Lorenzetti
• Support the FAI mission with a voluntary contribution
• Take advantage, for members, of the itinerary in the Borgo del Ponte of Massa

The FAI Spring Days at the Giardino Incantato represent a precious opportunity for the Municipality of Massa and the entire Apuan Tuscany to rediscover a heritage of biodiversity and beauty, in a corner of nature suspended between the Apuan Alps and the sea.