The Impossible Garden
On the island of Favignana, nestled among some of the most beautiful coves and the sunny countryside, the Impossible Garden is a vast park hidden from view, underground beyond a dry stone wall. Its unusual morphology makes it unique in its kind.
The garden is located in an area that is predominantly flat and constantly whipped by the wind, and thus could not find fertile ground for the cultivation of plants except below street level. Here, sheltered from the wind and as close as possible to the water table, about 500 species of plants from all over the world are housed and distributed over an area of about 4 hectares.
It all started in the seventies when Maria Gabriella Campo moved to Favignana with her husband to a small prefabricated house scattered among the barren Favignana countryside. Gabriella and her husband gradually bought the adjacent land, mainly former open-air limestone quarries. They began to reclaim and requalify these underground areas of those ancient quarries, which had been abandoned and used as landfills for decades.
It was an intervention that most people considered impossible. In fact, nobody imagined that a beautiful garden could grow in that labyrinth of limestone. If Gabriella Campo had listened to the detractors, this sunken Eden would not exist today.
The Impossible Garden does not follow any precise pattern, but its main peculiarity lies precisely in the vegetation that penetrates the underground spaces through a maze of caves, open-air quarries, galleries, and tunnels. Among the many species that reign amidst the limestone, it is possible to admire jacaranda trees and Egyptian papyri, carissa and hibiscus hedges, African euphorbia and yucca, agaves, bougainvillea, and obviously citrus fruits.
To define the Impossible Garden a botanical museum is quite reductive. It is, in fact, a historical and cultural museum that tells Gabriella's story, but also that of many Favignana locals and of the Egadi Islands in general. Here, nature blends with the history of the island, and one travels through time to discover the work ingenuity and traditions of the islanders.
In December 2010, the "Hypogeum Gardens of Villa Margherita" were inscribed in the Book of Expressions of the REIL Egadi Islands as they represent a high expression of the cultural heritage of humanity.
Guided Tours
Admission to the Impossible Garden is regulated by closed number and exclusively guided tours. These are only made by reservation and take place in the morning and afternoon, from Monday to Saturday (from May to November).
The visit, lasting about 1 hour and 30 minutes, is conducted by a guide. It is recommended to arrive at least 15 minutes before the start of the tour to allow for proper booking control.
The garden is almost entirely wheelchair accessible, although attention should be paid to natural obstacles along the way.
Tickets, costing €15, can also be purchased online at https://www.giardinodellimpossibile.it/prodotto/visita-guidata/
For English language tours or group bookings, please write to info@giardinodellimpossibile.it
