Why visit a famous garden at this time of year? Well, if it’s beautiful now, just think how glorious it will be in May!

The gardens and church of San Liberato on the South side of Lake Bracciano are a wonder. Our guide Claudio walked us across perfectly manicured lawns featuring groupings of majestic trees, planted purposely fifteen meters apart by the famous landscape designer Russell Page in the 1960’s, their leaves in shades of yellow and gold and bronze and rust. Changing colors of leaves we were unable to identify provided us with a renewed sense of natural beauty.

Shadows from giant trees led us toward the lake, but we were drawn back to a pond, separated in the center by a path leading out to a gazebo.

On shady paths we stepped over leaves so vibrant that some of us had to pick them up. There were delicate Japanese maples in deep red, sugar maples in yellow and green resting on the grass like ball gowns.

A rosa mutabilis near the corner of the main building was still in flower. More roses were also in flower, although the majority of roses and peonies and magnolias and hydrangeas take their bows each spring.

The Romanesque church of San Liberato was built in the 9th century on the site of the ancient Roman Forum Clodii; set on a ledge with spectacular views over Lake Bracciano and the Rocca Romana just beyond, the property’s five hectares of rare plants from all over the world should be on every garden lover’s list.