I asked Katia if her grandmother, Iris Origo, had a particular fondness for the plant iris. She said indeed she did, although she was named for Iris the messenger of the gods. I can only imagine that there were a lot more irises planted on the estate during her lifetime.

The Origos established a restaurant/pub type place to service their community which they called Dopolavoro, or after work. It is a beautiful place just off the main estate that is nowadays open to the public. We enjoyed an excellent pranzo there after our tour and Katia joined us.

One of the things Katia stressed to us is that while her grandparents most certainly established one of the finest private gardens in Italy, their main goal was to lift up the community. When they purchased the estate in the 20s, it was a very difficult time for the local people. There had been droughts, Mussolini was in power, and while he stressed agriculture and “the people”, the less fortunate rural people were struggling. The Origos established schools for the young, medical clinics for the community, and countless other programs to serve the community. This was their primary goal and they were very successful.

What a grand day! Highly recommend a visit. This was my 3rd. I’ve now seen the gardens in early spring as well as high summer and fall. Very lucky indeed!

Alla prossima!