The Italian Garden

The inspiration for the Italian Garden came from a trip Mrs. Cummer made to the Villa Gamberaia near Florence, Italy. Known for its Anglo-Italian design and distinct arches, this garden greatly impressed Mrs. Cummer and in 1931, she asked Ellen Biddle Shipman (1869-1950) to design a similar garden. The Cummer Italian Garden is considered a signature piece in Shipman's oeuvre of residential gardens and is one of the few Shipman gardens still in existence. Characterized by strong symmetry, quiet elegance and a pastel palette, it contains a series of arches covered with creeping fig that direct the visitor's gaze through the gardens and over its ponds toward the St. Johns River.

The original plans for the garden are kept in the Cornell University archives and The Cummer archives contain the complete list of plants ordered by Mrs. Cummer. Based on these invaluable records, a recent restoration has returned the Italian Garden to its original splendor.