Botanical Garden Parco Paternò del Toscano

Il Botanical Garden Parco Paternò del Toscano it is one of the most important green areas in the whole of Sicily, not only for its beauty but also for the uniqueness of the specimens that compose it.

It extends into over 3 hectares of land, in which landscapes follow one another that will leave you speechless, making you travel directly to the tropics but without having to move from Sant'Agata Li Battiati.

The great importance of this place has led the institutions to make it a Protected Area Cultural heritage, as well as housing numerous plants declared monumental.

If you love nature and are thinking of doing one vacation in Sicily, you will understand very well that Sant'Agata Li Battiati and its Botanical Garden are the perfect destination to satisfy your desire for discovery.

History of the Paternò del Toscano Botanical Garden in Sant'Agata Li Battiati

The whole Paternò del Toscano park was built by Ettore Paternò del Toscano, great fan of botany, even though he himself used to define himself simply as "gardener".
From a young age he showed a particular predisposition towards botany, to the point that he used to skip school to go to Bellini garden in Catania, where he stayed for hours admiring the gardeners who took care of the park.

Once an adult, Ettore Paternò del Toscano purchased a lava ground in Sant'Agata Li Battiati, starting his most ambitious project. In fact, starting from the 60s he began to cultivate sub-tropical plants, sure that in Sicilian climate, with the right precautions, they could have grown without problems. In a very short time his fame knew no bounds, so much so that he was commissioned by private individuals and institutions to create gardens in almost every region ofItaly and not only.

What was originally nothing more than a simple experiment turned out to be something ingenious, unique, which received numerous awards in the following decades. Nowadays, the Parco Paternò del Toscano Botanical Garden is among the most futuristic in Sicily, to the point of being a destination for important botanists from all over the world.

What to see at the Parco Paternò del Toscano Botanical Garden in Sant'Agata Li Battiati

This area is located above a lava terrain, composed of steep differences in altitude and a terrain that creates natural paths, some of which are hidden, which make the discovery of the vegetation a fun and never banal experience.
The Garden is divided into 2 main areas, each of which deals with completely different vegetation from the others. Walk through the paths of this park and let yourself be taken on a sensory journey that will take you to the other side of the world without even realizing it.

Tropical vegetation: in this area you can admire plants from all over the world, from Cape Verde to Australia, passing through every remote corner of the Earth. Here you can admire over 40 different varieties of Palm tree, Besides yuccas and asymmetrical compositions on which a variety of examples are based tropical plants.

Mediterranean forest: this is where you can observe every corner of Sicily in a small plot of land, with oaks, blueberries, chestnuts and mosses. The paths are made with particular care, so much so that the benches present here are installed to offer you broad views of the garden, where you will also notice numerous Ceramics from Caltagirone.

How to get to the Parco Paternò del Toscano Botanical Garden in Sant'Agata Li Battiati

The Parco Paternò del Toscano Botanical Garden is located in the heart of Sant'Agata Li Battiati, therefore easily reachable once you arrive in the city.
You can get to Sant'Agata li Battiati in different ways, given its proximity to Catania, where the Catania Central Railway Station andFontanarossa airport, thanks to which you can easily reach the area.

To get around you can also benefit from the buses of Sicilian Transport Company AST, who will accompany you throughout Sicily and will make you visit incredible places.
If you are already in the area and travel by car, to get to Sant'Agata Li Battiati just take the Highway 121 or the European Route 45.