A Tribute to Renaissance Garden Ideals

Sandro Botticelli’s Primavera, 1482

Primavera celebrates the beauty of spring and the power of love. In this iconic painting, replete with symbolism and imagery from ancient writers, gods and mythological figures dance in a lush garden. The exact meaning of the painting is unknown, but many of the figures depicted in it are recognizable. Upon closer inspection, you can spot the Roman goddess Venus, Cupid, and Mercury’s son.

Renaissance – Rebirth

The term “Renaissance” means rebirth and refers to the period in the late 1400s and 1500s. This new culture offered a more positive outlook on life. People believed they had rediscovered the greatness of antiquity and wanted to move away from a sole focus on God’s will. The importance of life here and now became more significant than the afterlife, leading to an emphasis on research, education, art, and philosophical thinking.

Hanna Wendelbo is this year’s designer

The Renaissance Garden beds have been designed by Hanna Wendelbo in collaboration with our gardeners. This year’s warm color palette offers a taste of Italy, with inspiration drawn from both Swedish flora and more exotic regions. The plantings are designed to change in form and tone with the seasons. During the Renaissance, symmetry was highly valued, and the framing of garden spaces was crucial. We have combined plant selection with contemporary desires for a wilder garden that invites bumblebees, bees, and butterflies.

 The Renaissance Garden & North German Garden

The neatly trimmed hornbeam hedges surrounding the Renaissance Garden create an intimate atmosphere. Inside the hedges, thousands of artistically designed boxwoods form decorative plantings, transitioning into freer summer flower beds. The sightline is enhanced, and the heart of the garden is the mirror pond, whose calm water draws the eye towards the horizon and creates a sense of infinity.

Terracotta Pots from Tuscany

The Renaissance Garden invites you into a world where history and nature harmoniously interact. A key detail is the exclusive terracotta pots. The decorations on the pots have a clear heritage from Renaissance Florence and are classics in Tuscany and Italy. They adorn castles and manors around the world. The term “terracotta” comes from the Italian words “terra cotta,” meaning “cooked earth” or “cooked clay.” The pots are made using traditional methods at M.I.T.A.L in Impruneta, near Florence. The terracotta pots are supplied by Cadabra Design.

The Sound of the Renaissance Garden

Pause and listen for a moment. The composer couple Hanna and Carl-Johan Dahlberg Fogelklou have composed music for Norrviken. The character of different places has inspired the musical interpretation, largely based on the four elements of earth, air, fire, and water. Hear how the Renaissance Garden musically draws notes from the air.