Hello,
My fiancé and I are getting married in Florence and looking for an interesting spot for our welcome dinner. We thought an afternoon welcome picnic in the Boboli Gardens would be perfect. I know people who have done this but have read differing info online about whether picnics are allowed in the park. Does anyone here know if picnics are allowed??
Thanks very much!
Picnics yes.
If by picnics you mean building fires and barbecuing and leaving the place like a total mess then probably not.
In May I saw people on the grass and on benches, with food and drink. No one seemed to mind at all. But these were individuals. Are you talking about a couple or a couple dozen people?
Congratulations on your upcoming nuptials.
Hi -
Congratulations on your upcoming marriage!
Here are the rules for visiting the gardens (from the website):
http://www.uffizi.firenze.it/allegati/musei/boboli/reg-boboli-eng.pdf
According to these, it is allowed to eat in the gardens BUT, "It is strictly prohibited to…walk on the grass…" so sitting on the lawns is not (or is that simply not enforced?) so I guess you're limited to benches and whatnot. You are also aware that there's an entry fee?
I wonder about the rose gardens near Piazza Michelangelo (Giardino Delle Rose)? The view from up there is beautiful, that one is free last I knew, and picnics are allowed but I wouldn't recommend it for a large group. Requires a steep climb as well but again, that view…!!!
How many people are coming to this welcome dinner? If more than four, you should contact the venue to make sure group picnicking is allowed.
And instead of Boboli, I would prefer Giardino Bardini next door. It has a gorgeous view over Florence (the Duomo) from a lawn area. And the gardens have flowers and arbors. There is a restaurant and a cafeteria near the viewpoint, and a coffee house near the top.
Remember that Boboli garden is considered a museum, you have to pay for admission, I'd guess that an organized party would not be seen with much sympathy. One thing is a couple of persons eating sandwiches ("with discretion", state the rules), having a group dining on the premises seems to me to look for trouble.
The Bobolino garden (the area around viale Machiavelli) is open and has not museum status. Still, I wonder if having an impromptu picnic is the best way to celebrate a marriage.
Like many gardens in Europe you are not allowed to sprawl on the grass. A large group doing this would almost certainly find the rule enforced. There are a few benches here and there. There is a particularly lovely pool near the back entrance near Porta Romana which has benches surrounding it. People would not be bunched together but it would be a place you could probably picnic if by that you mean eat a sandwich from a bag and have a drink.
We have eaten in the Boboli gardens but we were just two, were discreet and didn't have loads of stuff.
Now that I think about it, I can't remember picnic facilities in the parks anywhere in Italy at all of the sort that we often think of in the States. The sorts with covered pavilions, tables, BBQs and whatnot? They may exist but I don't remember seeing any. Benches here and there, yes, but no tables.
Roberto, did I manage to overlook those?
I would think you'd be taking a risk with weather, and I'm not sure how comfortable all of your guests might be sitting on the ground - not to mention having to haul all the food and other necessaries?
Boboli was the place where we used to hide when we cut school. Toward the end of the school year there were lots of students. We used to stay in this spot and there were lots of us and sometimes we were loud. We were rarely scolded by the staff (but never kicked out).
http://www.daniel.prado.name/imagenes/articulos/Viajes/Florencia/Jardines-de-Boboli.jpg
Things may have changed since (in my youth we didn't pay either), but if your party behaves with discretion I think it's ok to have a get together there unless your party consists of hundreds of people. I wouldn't set up tables on the meadows however.
The meadow (emiciclo delle colonne) at the entrance of Porta Romana is less subject to restrictions. In the past they used to have the historical football there. No view from here though.
Also there are always a lot of people in the smaller meadow near the statue of Tindaro screpolato (a huge face)
http://images.placesonline.com/photos/38645_silenzio_boboli_firenze.jpg
The meadows under the coffee house were also less restricted, but I don't know if that has changed. That would be good because it has a view of the city.
http://www.firenzemadeintuscany.com/media/boboli-GPD5FLS9.jpg?width=540&height=300&croponresize=1
The Bobolino, mentioned by asps2, is an alternative. But no view there either.
These are the rules:
http://www.uffizi.firenze.it/allegati/musei/boboli/reg-boboli-ita.pdf
Do you have cars? Bring everybody to Chiesanuova, a few kms. out of Florence. There are a few bakers there that bake a wonderful schiacciata (flat bread with olive oil) to be filled with salami or cheese. The village is so popular that a couple of picnic areas with benches and tables have been built (crowds on Sundays). The only picnic location I can think around Florence.
But frankly for a marriage I would book a restaurant. A full marriage lunch in a scenic location may be expensive, but a table at a country restaurant should not break the bank.
I think this picnic is to casually gather guests arriving before the wedding day ("our welcome dinner").
