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Beyond wine: when a historic Garden becomes a space in dialogue with its territory
For more than twenty years, the Garden of Pojega has been open to the public, welcoming visitors eager to discover one of the most significant places in the history of Valpolicella. For Guerrieri Rizzardi, this opening is more than an opportunity for visits; it is a conscious choice to share a heritage that is deeply intertwined with the identity of both the family and the territory.
Within the historic estate of Negrar, the garden continues to be a living place, animated by people, ideas, and projects that help preserve its cultural and social role.
A historic heritage in the heart of Valpolicella
The Garden of Pojega was created at the end of the eighteenth century at the behest of Count Antonio Rizzardi and designed by architect Luigi Trezza, one of the foremost interpreters of garden design of his time.
Situated beside Villa Rizzardi, the nineteenth-century residence at the heart of the family estate, the garden is one of the most important examples of a formal Italian garden in the Veneto region. Perspective avenues, green architecture, and even a Green Theatre—among the largest and best-preserved in Europe—guide visitors along a route that brings nature, art, and architecture into harmonious dialogue.
For the Rizzardi family, who have cultivated vineyards in Veneto since 1649, the Garden of Pojega is an integral part of their history. The landscape surrounding the garden is the same Valpolicella landscape that has long been home to Amarone and Valpolicella Ripasso wines, accompanying the family’s work for generations.
A Garden that heals
The Garden of Pojega’s vocation as a place dedicated to people’s well-being is rooted in its very design.
When Luigi Trezza conceived the garden, he imagined a sequence of spaces in which visitors would not merely observe the landscape but become part of the experience itself. The green rooms, pathways that alternate between intimate spaces and geometric vistas, and the continuous dialogue between nature and architecture still offer visitors a personal and immersive journey today.
In a sense, the visitor becomes a living presence within the design itself—a “living decoration” that completes the relationship between the garden and those who walk through it.
It is from this perspective that the project The Garden That Heals was developed in recent years, emerging naturally from the history and identity of Pojega.
Nature, beauty and well-being
Today, numerous scientific studies confirm what garden designers and landscape architects had already intuited centuries ago: contact with nature can help reduce stress, restore attention, improve physical and psychological well-being, and encourage a more mindful relationship with the surrounding environment.
The presence of green spaces, the slow pace of a visit, and the opportunity to observe the landscape and immerse oneself in a harmonious setting are all elements that can positively influence the quality of the experience.
At the Garden of Pojega, these aspects are not a contemporary addition but an inherent part of the place itself. The beauty of the landscape, the dimension of slow time, and the direct relationship with nature have always been among the defining features of a visit here.
The therapeutic Garden Days
Within this context, the Therapeutic Garden Days have been developed in collaboration with IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital and the Municipality of Negrar di Valpolicella.
The 2026 edition, dedicated to the theme of aphasia, brought together patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals, associations, and visitors through a programme of talks, personal testimonies, and activities held throughout the garden.
The initiative is one of the ways in which the Garden of Pojega continues to interpret its role in the present day, placing its historical and landscape heritage at the service of the community.
“The Garden of Pojega is part of the history of our family and of the territory we have cared for across thirteen generations. Seeing it host initiatives dedicated to people and the community means continuing its original purpose: to be a place of encounter, connection, and shared experiences.”
Agostino Rizzardi
Part of the proceeds from the Therapeutic Garden Days will be donated to A.IT.A. Veneto – Associazione Italiana Afasici, supporting activities dedicated to people living with aphasia and their families.
Visit the Garden of Pojega until November 2026
The 2026 season at the Garden of Pojega continues until November with guided tours, events, and experiences dedicated to discovering the historical and landscape heritage of Valpolicella.
A visit to the garden can be combined with the wine experiences offered by Guerrieri Rizzardi, providing an opportunity to explore the history of the family’s estates and taste some of the region’s most representative wines, including Villa Rizzardi Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG and Pojega Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore.
An opportunity to experience a place where history, landscape, and wine culture have coexisted within the same estate for more than 250 years.
