For everyone, Varese is the garden city and for inhabitants and tourists alike, the ultimate expression of this green soul is the perfect combination of the Estensi Gardens and the Villa Mirabello Park.

At the highest point, the famous Cedar of Lebanon appears in all its grandeur: beloved by the people of Varese, it is one of the symbols of the city. 

With its trunk with a circumference of 11.30 metres (diameter 360 cm) and its canopy offering shade to 600 square metres of soil, it is the most important tree specimen in the province and one of the largest trees in northern Italy.

Planted in 1859 for the visit of Victor Emmanuel of Savoy (at that time close to becoming the first king of Italy), it has been growing luxuriantly ever since that day just a few metres from the 18th-century Villa Mirabello, now home to the Civic Museums.

The sense of relaxation that one can experience while strolling through the historic park enjoying the views of the city centre, Lake Varese and the mountains, stopping in the shade of the large cedar tree to admire the sinuous branches chasing each other up to a height of 30 metres is priceless.

(Ph: Luca Pernechele)