Italian-Inspired Summer Display Brings Lush Gardens, Lemon Groves and Lots of Romance to Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens
Inspired by the beautiful landscapes and romantic visions of Italy, Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens welcomes guests to embark on a serene journey through its new summer display, now through September 9.
Envisioned by designer Ed Libby and Bellagio’s Horticulture team, the seasonal exhibit takes visitors on a tour of Italy with elaborate fountains, ornate crystal chandeliers and trees overflowing with lemons. Titled “That’s Amoré,” the display evokes romance at every turn by paying homage to the captivating beauty that can be found throughout Italy.
Italian-Inspired Summer Display Brings Lush Gardens, Lemon Groves and Lots of Romance to Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens
As guests enter the Conservatory through the East Garden, they walk under an awe-inspiring canopy of lemon tree branches reminiscent of Da Paolino Restaurant in Capri; the renowned restaurant is a popular spot in Italy for young lovers to pop the question. A four-tiered, eight-foot fountain, centrally located under the canopy, adds a calming effect while bouquets of flowers and lemon tree branches emerge from Italian vases. Giant lemons and a golden sun hang above the trees.
A massive 22-foot, vine-covered fountain overflowing with water captures visitors’ attention as they walk through the entryway. The fountain pays tribute to The Fontana dell’Ovato, a stunning installation located in Villa d’Este, a 16th century residence in Tivoli. The Villa, fountains and its manicured gardens are the site of many wedding celebrations and a favorite destination for wedding photographers worldwide. Evoking their Venetian roots, three Murano-inspired crystal chandeliers spread a dreamy glow above the West Garden.
Italian-Inspired Summer Display Brings Lush Gardens, Lemon Groves and Lots of Romance to Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens
The North Garden depicts a scene straight from Teatro alla Scala. The famous opera house’s rich burgundy velvet curtain frames the bed to the right, welcoming visitors to the show, where a floral troubadour holds a mandolin. An enchanting picnic scene fit for royalty awaits its guests to descend from a grand stone staircase. The setting, complete with an intricate hand-made blanket, lemonade and a basket overflowing with flowers and food, overlooks a lake where two lover trumpeter swans float peacefully.
Across the walkway in the South Garden, a majolica-tiled bench modeled after the famous tiled seat inside the Gardens of Augustus in Capri rests on the edge of a tranquil lake. Water streams from a handcrafted vase, surrounded by multiple lion and monkey sculptures mounted on a foliage-covered wall, reminiscent of The Hundreds Fountain at Villa d’Este. Pillars covered in lemon tree branches line one edge of the garden, while lemon topiaries comprised of 1,400 bright yellow flowers, which invoke happiness and optimism, rest at the other end.
In the evening, eight hanging Italian lanterns and three multi-tiered crystal chandeliers provide a romantic glow to the gardens. The verdant cypress trees, thousands of blooming flowers and hundreds of lemons pay tribute to the sunset and sunrise over the coasts of Italy.
Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens is complimentary to the public and open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Summer Display by the Numbers
- 57,000: Total number of flowers on display for the duration of the exhibit
- 1,400: Number of flowers used to create the lemons
- 125: Team members who participate in the display’s assembly
- 40 feet: Length of The Hundreds Fountain
- 20 feet: Height of The Fontana dell’Ovato
- 15 feet: Height of the sun
- 8 feet: Height of four-tiered fountain
- 8 feet: Diameter of plate
- 8 feet: Length of Majolica-tiled bench