If the Boboli Gardens could spark the imagination and interest of children, I considered the impact on the maturing mind of adults. My musings led me to plot a historical fiction set in a beautiful garden of Europe.

Labor of Love—releasing February 15, 2022—offers glimpses into the making and extending of the gardens behind Pitti Palace in Florence, Italy. Journeying back to my first experience in the gardens as a child, sharp, vivid memories piece together a maze of paths, fountains, hills, alleys, grottos, and views. Adding these to my adult visits, the images blend into a reel of moving pieces instead of individual photos. The gardens and palace still exist for locals and tourists.

A bit of history concretes the historical validity of the setting. A good source is The House of Medici by Christopher Hibbert. Labor of Love joins the story of the gardens in 1560 when the Medici family moved to Pitti Palace, bought in 1549 by Duchess Eleonora. The jewel of the property involved acres of land behind the palace. The gardens received the name Boboli from the Bogoli family who had once owned some of the acres. The landscaping and plotting of the gardens fell into the hands of many architects including Tribolo who designed the amphitheater and Neptune Pond.

Vasari joined the ducal architect list and contributed the grottos and the private corridor over the Arno River connecting Pitti and Palazzo Vecchio. I’ve made him a minor character, mentoring gardeners.

The views from the top of the gardens are spectacular. One overlooks orchards and hills of Tuscany. The other brings a rooftop view of red-tiled Florence.

The Boboli Gardens await your exploration in Labor of Love.

https://www.amazon.com/Labor-Love-Gardens-Time-Book-ebook/dp/B09B4BJ8FM/ref