On the Via Francigena, just a few meters from the Dolmen of Montalbano, in the province of Brindisi, in the heart of the plains of monumental olive trees, on a piece of land owned by the Zizzi family, Giardini Mileto is born today. The owners of this extraordinary land have captured the genius loci of the place and have resolutely wanted to transform it into a great botanical oasis out of love and respect for these native lands, which, from areas designated for agriculture, have in recent years become territories of great scenic allure and cultural cross-pollination, visited by people from all over the world.The family’s goal has been to create a place where human beings can reconnect and where their passions can inspire other passions.
Biodiversity, enhancement, inclusion, and promotion of the territory are just some of the values at the heart of this project. The garden, in fact, offers the opportunity to get closer to nature and to learn about its immense variety, while remaining in an urban context. An experience capable of enriching the mind and heart, for the whole family.
In 14 hectares, the garden encompasses over 8,000 plants and 450 species within ancient dry stone and natural stone walls, with waterfalls, 2 quarries, 6 macro Mediterranean, native, exotic, tropical, and subtropical areas, including captivating succulents of every kind, and a large orchard that is the authentic and intentional symbol of the botanical garden.
The birth of this beloved place marked an epochal change in the area, transitioning from vegetable garden, vineyard, citrus grove, and pasture for livestock farming to a botanical garden, promoting the meeting of ornamental plants characteristic of this pedoclimatic area with exotic plants, the result of significant endemizations, which the botanical garden gathers with much work and foresight. This vast green space also serves as an eclectic venue for cultural, educational, scientific, celebratory, and spectacular activities that nurture and spread the promotion of green culture and offer important events in the region.
