Roseto Niso Fumagalli

Here is a place to immerse yourself in amazing colors and scents, especially in May when the roses are in full bloom. You can find it in the forecourt of the Villa Reale since 1964. It was here that Niso Fumagalli, president of the Italian Rose Association, wanted it.

The rose garden, with its slightly undulating terrain, pond and well-designed paths is home to over 4,000 varieties of roses including also a wonderful collection of old varieties around the water feature, and creepers along the gate and on the pergola. A special mention goes to "The Secret Garden of Fragrance," which encloses, amidst yew tree wings, the most fragrant roses, including "TEODOLINDA 96," a very white and fragrant tea hybrid created by Niso Fumagalli in 1988.

Every year since 1965, when the work was not yet completed, and until 2015 it hosted the International Rose Competition in the spring.

The first year, the most prestigious prize, that of perfume, was won by Dutchman Jan Leenders, who chivalrously named his "creature," a beautiful soft pink color and intense fragrance, "Monza."

Famous godmothers of the competition include Princess Grace of Monaco, in 1970, and Nobel laureate Rita Levi Montalcini, in 1991.