Giardino di Brazzacco

The castle of Brazzà has a fascinating spacious park, created as an expression of love for nature.

When Cora Slocomb (Detalmo of Brazzà’s wife in the late 1800s) reached Friuli, within 5 days she had met with various experts to create a park inspired by the landscape of her native land Louisiana. Drawing on her own technical competence and the advise regarding landscaping given by the family, she personally designed the park which is in the shape of a clover (symbol used by the enterprising Cora for all her activities including the famous school of Fine Needlework which she established locally).

The park has large green stretches set against a wooded backdrop and beautifully well-cared for lawns interspersed with wooded areas. The overall effect is that of a natural environment, yet in reality careful attention had been paid to every detail of its projection and execution. A variety of local plants were situated next to plants and trees from other continents whose seeds had been donated to the noblewoman. Therefore a wide variety of plant and tree species can still be found in this park: Cyprus and Atlas cedars, deodars, common and European limes, weeping and purple beeches, etc.

She even oversaw to the completion of the historical castle and to the creation of an ornamental garden in the space between the tower and the external walls.

In 1940, the same year Cora died, Fey von Hassel, the wife of Detalmo Pirzio Biroli (Cora’s nephew), moved to Brazzà and was filled with awe when she saw the park and the garden: “Brazzà is fabulous. I have never seen anything like this (…). The house is completely covered with red roses; there is a 16-hectare park filled with century-old trees and English-style lawns; the plants are a medley of Mediterranean and Northern European vegetation.”

To have mentioned the roses is not surprising because Cora loved roses and when she arrived in Brazzacco during the winter she was amazed to find roses blooming in the snow and was delighted to be able to include them in her botanical choices year round. We must not forget though that Detalmo’s brother, Filippo, was famous for his pansies which were requested from as far away as St. Petersburg and South Africa.