Standing on an evocative rocky cliff overlooking the sea and warmed by the sun, the Pallanca Exotic Garden, a casket containing a valuable collection of more than 3,000 varieties of cactus plants, is located in Bordighera.
The Garden boasts an ancient history: it was 1946 when Giacomo Pallanca, already a collaborator of the German botanist, Ludwig Winter, decided to start his own business by cultivating and trading exotic plants and succulents.
He bought a 10 thousand metre plot of land whose climatic, environmental and orographic features allowed the plants to acclimatise easily.
The choice was a happy one. The Garden was quickly enriched by rare and unknown plant species from all over the globe. Thanks to the passion and dedication of the Pallanca family passed on from generation to generation, the botanical garden now includes pieces of great value, making it a must-visit location for researchers and enthusiasts.
Over the years the site has won prestigious worldwide awards and has been included in the circuit of the “Great Gardens of Italy” since 2004.
In addition to the rarity of the specimens, what is surprising is the perception of immediate harmony with nature that is felt as soon as the entrance gate is crossed.
The lush vegetation, combined with the vibrantly coloured and joyful diversity of species to be discovered between the lanes, gives the feeling of an undying love story between those lush and lavish plants which entrust their roots to an apparently hostile soil which lovingly welcomes them instead, holding them in an embrace.
[Rosanna Calò]
