A recreation of the ancient gardens of Rome provides a plus for garden lovers exploring Rome's Palatine Hill this summer. Archaeological gardeners have replanted the flower and kitchen gardens of the House of Augustus, the Nymphaeum and stadium of Domitian and the Domus Flavia, both with the original plants used in Roman times, or else creating special floral compositions to recall erstwhile visual effects.

The gardens of the House of Augustus are based on the frescoes that decorated the walls of the winter dining room belonging to his wife, Livia, where fruit trees and flowers can clearly be identified and which are now on view in the Palazzo Massimo Museum, Rome.

Italy's first botanical garden, the Horti Farnensiane, planted by Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, nephew of Pope Paul III, which has crowned the Palatine since the end of the 16 th century, has also been tidied up and appears in all its original splendor. The Cardinal planted all the new exotic plants from America, such as cactus plants, sunflowers, tomatoes, tobacco and sweet peppers, in his garden as well as a collection of antique roses.

The tour is available until October.