The Botanical Gardens of Villa Taranto History of

The Botanical Gardens of Villa Taranto

History of Neil Boyd Mc Eacharn • Captain Neil Boyd Mc Eacharn was born on October 28, 1884 in Garlieston from a well-off Scottish family, who owned a big shipping company, rich iron- and coal- mines and large estates in Australia. • While he finished his studies at Eton and Oxford, as it was required by a young man of his social standing, destined to become a Royal Archer, his main interest, botany, began to stand out. • In 1928 he began his research in Italy for lands that were fit for the realization of a wide and wonderful garden. In 1930, in consequence of an advertisement which appeared on the “Times”, he bought the estate called “La Crocetta” from the Marquise of Sant’Elia, which extended on the Promontory of the Castagnola in Pallanza.

• In 1939 the Captain, who had to leave Italy during the period of the Second World War, presented his garden to the Italian State with the condition that it should remain private. At the end of the war the Captain came back in Pallanza and soon afterwards was requested by his friends and authorities to open the gates to the public. • On April 18, 1964 he died on the veranda with a view on his beloved garden. Some months before, on July 27, 1963, the town of Pallanza had bestowed him with the freedom of the city. • Nowaydays the botanical patrimony of the gardens of Villa Taranto contains nearly 1. 000 non autochthonous plants and almost 20. 000 genera and varieties of particular botanical importance. The Villa is not open to the public, since it is used as seat of the Prefecture of the new Province of Verbano- Cusio-Ossola.

THE EFFECTS OF THE TORNADO IN VILLA TARANTO • In August 2012 Verbania was hit by a tornado that destroyed over 300 trees in Villa Taranto. • These photos are examples of the entity of the damage it caused. • The tornado could be related to climate change.

THE LIVING FOSSIL TREE • Water spruce (eng. ) (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) was supposed to be extinct since about 200 million of year. • It can reach 40 metres high. • The leaves are flat and 2/3 cm long. • In autumn this tree drops his leaves. It is a relevant species for our project because it has been able to resist to atmospheric pollution and to the changes in climate along the time.

HERBARIUM MAUSOLEUM VALLETTA TERRACED GARDEN

Rare botanical species Victoria cruziana Dicksonia antarctica Davidia involucrata Emmenopterys henryi Acer palmatum Cap. Mc Eacharn Metasequoia glyptostroboides

Presentation made by: Petriina Heikkinen, Emilia Karppinen, Andrea Bonisoli, Lorenzo Maddaloni, Lorenzo Patruno, Matteo Pesola Grazie a tutti Thank you Kiitos