Messer Tulipano, the big event in the park of Pralormo Castle, is 25 years old!
The planting of over 130,000 tulips is always renewed in variety and colour scheme and, among the many curious varieties, there is a collection of botanical tulips as well as a section dedicated to those known since 1600, such as the botanical varieties that can be considered the ‘ancestors’ of the current ones: these are species that grow in the woods, especially in Asia, and are generally only 15 to 20 cm tall, with thin leaves. In the undergrowth, tufts of muscari, narcissus and hyacinths also catch the eye.
This year we're going to look at the history of the tulip, starting in 1600, when ‘tulip fever’ broke out in Holland with very high costs for each bulb, which was worth as much as a house. This madness lasted until about 1630, then suddenly interest in this flower ended and there was the first European financial failure.
Some ‘special’ varieties are also planned, planted in Dutch boxes so they can be admired up close: the ‘fior di giglio’ with a thin stem and pointed petals, the ‘viridiflora’ with green flames, the ‘family’ in a bunch on a single stem, the ‘parroquet’ with a lively stem and dishevelled petals, the ‘frills’ with jagged petals...
A popular shopping area offers local specialities, seasonal products from farmers, artisan honeys and jams, gourmet delicacies, DOC wines, natural cosmetics, fabrics and household items, as well as plants, flowers and products to renew your garden or terrace.
