The Secret Garden
At the heart of every story this place tells is Lorenzo Patarol, a visionary botanist who, between 1717 and 1719, brought to life Venice’s very first botanical garden. It was his hand that, step by step, transformed over 2,000 m² of land into an oasis of more than 1,200 species catalogued in the oldest Herbarium, now preserved at the Natural History Museum of Venice.
In the first decade of the 19th century, his great-nephew Francesco Rizzo Patarol reimagined the garden “in the English style,” adding gentle hills, an icehouse, and winding paths to heighten the romantic atmosphere we still admire today.
It was right here, in 1815, that Francis I of Austria crossed the characteristic stone bridge and paused beside the ancient icehouse, where snow was once stored through the summer. Every corner—from the statue of the Virgin Mary to the verdant backdrop framing the private pier—celebrates Lorenzo’s vision and passion, gifts that have endured through the centuries.
To honor this legacy, the restaurant “Da Lorenzo” bears its founder’s name, offering a setting where history, nature, and haute cuisine blend in an unparalleled scene.
The Secret Garden is part of the NH Collection Grand Hotel Palazzo dei Dogi and is open every day to both hotel guests and the public.
