In ancient Rome, the "viridarium" was the private garden of luxury residences, a true green paradise populated by a diverse array of trees and shrubs, many of which were of exotic origin.
The frescoes in the most elegant domus of the era, still preserved today, depict the beauties of these idyllic spaces with vivid naturalism, teeming with small birds and other little animals in search of fruits and seeds. In many cases, the plant species are represented with such accurate details that their exact identification is possible.
Thus, one can recognize laurel bushes alongside majestic oriental plane trees and date palms, delightful strawberry trees laden with red fruits, mastic trees and myrtle sacred to Venus, oleanders, the white umbels of viburnum, hedges of periwinkles and chamomile, tufts of carrots, morning glories, and ivy. An environment imbued with symbolic values, rich in life in perpetual regeneration, celebrating prosperity and abundance for our ancestors.
