The Papadopoli Gardens are a small public park in the Santa Croce district, very close to Piazzale Roma. The gardens are not very bright both because of the fairly dense tree cover and because of the presence of evergreen species such as oaks, cypresses and cedars.
In the place where the gardens occupy today, there was the monastery of Santa Croce, the ancient religious complex that gave its name to the entire district. The complex was demolished along with other buildings to make way for the park.
The garden was conceived by Francesco Bagnara in 1834 at the request of Teresa Mosconi, wife of Count Spiridione Papadopoli, who had become the owner of the land. Bagnara created an English-style park to the north, towards the Grand Canal, in line with the romantic trends of the time, characterized by winding avenues and hills. The rest, however, was more regular with geometric flower beds. Remodeled and expanded in 1863 by the French landscape designer Marc Guignon on behalf of the new owners Niccolò and Angelo Papadopoli, the gardens aroused the admiration of public opinion. Damaged by the bombings of the First World War, they were opened to the public around 1920. But in 1933, due to the construction of Piazzale Roma, they underwent serious modifications.
The park currently occupies an area of 7,500 m² on an island bordered to the north by the Grand Canal, to the east by the Tolentini River, to the south by the Magazen River and to the west by the Novo River. It is not very bright both because of the fairly dense tree cover and because of the presence of evergreen species such as oaks, cypresses and cedars. Other species present are hackberries, sophoras, lime trees, yews, maples and oaks.
Beyond the Rio Novo, next to Piazzale Roma, there are still two small unfenced pieces of the original gardens. The first is essentially reduced to a flowerbed on which some cypresses stand; The other is more interesting due to the presence of a small fountain between false rocks and is what remains, perhaps, of a nymphaeum or a cliff.
Monument to Pietro Paleocapa
In the gardens is the marble statue of Pietro Paleocapa, a work by Luigi Ferrari from 1873, which was once located in Campo Sant'Angelo.
Map of the Papadopoli Gardens
Sestiere Santa Croce
30135 Venezia, Italia
