Giardino Bellini Explained

The Giardino Bellini (also known as Villa Bellini; English translation: "Bellini Garden") is the oldest^[1] urban park of Catania.

It occupies 70.942 m².^[2]

History

Before the construction of a public garden, the area was occupied by the garden maze or labyrinth owned by the Ignazio Paternò Castello, prince of Biscari. In 1854, the Comune di Catania bought the area of the maze, and in 1864 started to adapt the area into a public garden. Starting from 1875, the municipality acquired several further areas surrounding the maze, and two years later the work to unify these areas was undertaken.

A guide from 1867 reports the gardens housed swan and geese, deer and cows, an aviary, and an enclosure of monkeys. The park has a white marble bust depicting Vincenzo Bellini and completed by Tito Angiolini.

The Giardino Bellini was finally inaugurated in 1883.^[3]

See also

• Giardino Pacini

Further reading

• • Book: Cantone, Ugo. Il giardino Bellini di Catania. Analisi di una modificazione ambientale . Catania . I.D.A.U. . 1978. 614535582. it.
• Book: Vittorio. Urso. Azzurra. Piattella. Salvatore. Nicolosi . Giardino Bellini, Catania: luoghi storici della memoria . Catania . Seritime . 2000 . 751732063 . it.
• Book: Galeazzi, Marina. Il Giardino Bellini di Catania. Tra storia e progetto . Acireale . Bonanno . 2010 . 978-88-7796-758-9 . it.
• Giglitto . Danilo . 2013 . Il giardino Vincenzo Bellini di Catania. Una prospettiva antropologica . Anuac . 2 . 2 . 104–117 . 18 August 2015 . it.

External links

• Giardino Bellini at the Botanical Departement's website of University of Catania.

37.511°N 15.0834°W

Notes and References

1. News: «Lavori al palo, vandalismo istituzionale» Non c'è pace per villa Bellini. 18 August 2015. Corriere del Mezzogiorno. 25 August 2014. it.
2. Web site: Il Giardino. Dipbot.unict.it. University of Catania. 18 August 2015. it. https://web.archive.org/web/20120122120044/http://www.dipbot.unict.it/cnr/files/bellini/giardino.htm. 22 January 2012. dead.
3. Web site: Cenni storici. Dipbot.unict.it. University of Catania. 18 August 2015. it. https://web.archive.org/web/20140306142232/http://www.dipbot.unict.it/ctnatura/flora/bellini/BELL_STO.html. 6 March 2014. dead.