In Venetia Hortus Redemptoris. The Orto Giardino del Redentore on Giudecca, with its Ancient Workshops and Greenhouse, opens to the public after centuries thanks to expert restoration that transforms it into an oasis of biodiversity, culture, and community
The Orto Giardino del Santissimo Redentore on Giudecca, enclosed for centuries within the walls of the Capuchin friars’ convent as a space for reflection and sustenance, has recently opened to the public thanks to restoration by the Venice Gardens Foundation, an organization that promotes, develops, and implements projects dedicated to protecting botanical, artistic, and architectural heritage.
The restoration has given new life to this place of peace, where over 2,500 plants—cypresses, olive trees, and medicinal plants—intertwine in a garden that symbolizes sustainability and bears witness to the connection between nature, spirituality, and culture in Venice.
Designed by Andrea Palladio in the 16th century, this corner of biodiversity joins the green heritage of Venice, a city that behind its palaces preserves gardens and orchards rich in Mediterranean plants, centuries-old trees, and flowering pergolas. The Orto Giardino reveals itself as a boundless treasure trove of wonders, and we at Venezia da Vivere went to visit it.
Every detail of the garden tells a story
The 400-meter chestnut pergola hosts wisteria and climbing roses, creating shaded pathways that lead to the central basin dotted with water lilies and lotus flowers.
The ancient workshops, restored with traditional Venetian craft materials, now serve new functions: an exhibition space hosts works documenting the restoration, such as the video by Lucia Veronesi and photographs by Guido Guidi. Alongside, a workshop produces honey and oil, testimony to the agricultural activity that still thrives in this place. The olive groves and orchards, which recall the ancient monastic tradition, ensure organic cultivation.
The café, overlooking the lagoon and managed by Illycaffè, offers simple, seasonal dishes made with produce from the garden, in line with the Foundation’s philosophy of sustainability and respect for nature.
A story of rebirth
The Orto Giardino belongs to the Church dedicated to the Most Holy Redeemer, designed by Andrea Palladio, one of the most influential figures in architectural history, after one of Venice’s most difficult periods: the plague of 1575-1577. Between architecture and nature, the garden featured cypresses, olive trees, medicinal herbs, and a “garden of simples” that provided the herbal remedies necessary for the community.
Time and events, including the Acqua Granda of November 2019, caused severe damage to the vegetation and historic buildings of the convent. The urgency of restoration intervention resulted in an ambitious project, and in 2021 the Provincial Curia of the Capuchin Friars Minor, with authorization from the Holy See and the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Municipality of Venice and Lagoon, entrusted the Complex to Venice Gardens Foundation.
As with the previous restoration and return to the city of the Royal Gardens of San Marco, the Foundation commissioned architect Paolo Pejrone for the botanical restoration, who recreated the original orthogonal grid of cultivation paths, flowering borders of lavender, sage, roses and helichrysum, and spaces dedicated to meditation. Architect Alessandra Raso was entrusted with the architectural restoration and renovation of the Greenhouse.
To bring this treasure back to life, Venice Gardens Foundation mobilized public and private funds, including 2 million euros from the PNRR. With restoration complete, the Foundation opens the Complexes to visitors in order to convey the inherent values of serenity and peace. “Restoring means rediscovering the soul of a place. – explains President Adele Re Rebaudengo – We wanted to restore the garden’s original essence, maintaining a balance between the memory of the past and contemporary needs.”
Great attention was paid to sustainability: a rainwater recovery system from the roofs and the creation of a well ensure water self-sufficiency, while on-site composting tanks transform organic waste into fertilizer for the soil. “Sustainability is not just a technical principle, but a philosophy that guides our every choice” emphasizes Re Rebaudengo.
Orto Giardino of the Convent of the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer
In Venetia Hortus Redemptoris
Giudecca 194, Actv Redentore stop
A living and flourishing garden offers harmony and peace. By purchasing a Membership, you can contribute concretely to the conservation and protection of the Gardens.
Visiting hours:
Thursday, Friday, Saturday
- November 1 to March 31: 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM
- April 1 to May 31: 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM
- June 1 to September 20: 10:00 AM to 7:30 PM
- September 21 to October 31: 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM
The Gardens are closed:
- Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
- Ash Wednesday
- Holy Week
- Saint Francis, October 4
- December 25, 26, 31, January 1 and 6
Purchase ticket
Full price 12 euros. Reduced: 6 euros (residents, children aged 6 to 12, FAI members). Free: clergy, ICOM, children up to 5 years old, people with disabilities with one companion.
For more information, contact the Secretariat at segreteria@venicegardensfoundation.org
Article by Lucia Pecoraro and Laura Scarpa. Photos by Settimo Cannatella.
