Laconi, Aymerich Castle Park

Aymerich Castle Park. Photo by Marta Cincotti, 2025, from Catalogo BBCC

The Aymerich Castle Park is one of the largest historic gardens in Sardinia, with an area of about 22 hectares that combines naturalistic components and historical evidence. The plant, started in the 19th century by the Marquis Ignazio Aymerich, merges the formal order of the Italian garden with a vast wooded area with a predominance of bay leaves and holm oaks, enriched by exotic species introduced in the 19th century and by essences typical of the Mediterranean landscape. His creation is located in the romantic and collecting atmosphere of the nineteenth century, when the design of gardens tended to merge naturalistic suggestions, botanical experimentation and historical memory. The park develops on the western side of the town of Laconi, adapting to the hilly slope and divided into terraces, slopes and valleys that favor the formation of diversified microenvironments. The system of paths and clearings is intertwined with watercourses, waterfalls and lakes that create diversified environments, enhancing the hydrogeological peculiarities of the site. Dominating the relief, the ruined medieval castle represents the visual and symbolic fulcrum of the complex, while in the lower areas there are areas of botanical interest that house monumental trees and a rich floral heritage, known for the presence of numerous wild orchids. The combination of architecture, vegetation and water landscape makes the park unique in the history of Sardinian gardening, now protected and intended for cultural, recreational and educational functions.

Aspects of interest
The Aymerich Castle Park represents one of the most significant examples of a nineteenth-century historic garden in Sardinia, combining natural and historical elements in a composition with a strong scenographic impact. The succession of waterfalls, lakes and streams creates visual and sound effects that accompany the visitor along the shaded paths. The natural viewpoints and rest stops open up views of the Sarcidano valley and the town of Laconi, generating an alternation between cozy environments and wide panoramic views. The inclusion of monumental and exotic tree specimens, in contrast with the native vegetation, accentuates the scenographic dimension of the romantic-nineteenth-century garden, while the ruins of the medieval castle, emerging on the rocky top, represent the visual and symbolic fulcrum of the entire complex.