Italy's flora and fauna reveals stories of conquests and exotic animal hunts that continue to inspire fashion, design and art.
My five day holiday in Rome was a feast for the senses; cappuccinos by the Spanish Steps, walking past the majestic Pantheon in the midst of orchestral symphonies and experiencing the joy of taking a blind turn into a picturesque piazza. Apart from scenic settings, historical walks and shopping for souvenirs, Rome's architecture was indeed a marvel. Visually however there was always something off, that got me rather quizzical, and I could not put a finger on it. It was all made clear when I was at the Colosseum and got a view of Palatine Hill. There was a road lined with pencil thin trees and greenery gathered on top like gigantic broccoli. These trees were of African origin, I was sure of it. In fact, I was half expecting to witness a gazelle being chased by a cheetah with the Nat Geo theme song running in the background. Then it struck me, half the horticulture that surrounded the great Roman monuments were exotic plants.
Living in India, I am used to seeing palm trees by lagoons bending against stone temples and plantain leaves peeping out of tropical homes with brick walls. It just seemed like a mismatch attuning myself to the same plants against geometric structures, Corinthian pillars and purple marble. It turns out my hunch proved right, the 'broccoli' shaped trees by the Colosseum were of the Stone Pine variety, a native to North Africa. Rome -- the great empire not only showcased its glory by building magnificent monuments but also displayed their victories through exotic species of plants from the colonies they invaded and traded.
Walking around Palatine Hill, you would pass Apricot trees that were originally from Armenia, next to Fig trees from Persia. While the vicinity of Roman structures were given great detail right up to the shape of every shrub, the city landscape had an array of varieties. The reason plant species organically dispersed has an interesting take -- wild exotic animals. For generations' kings captured leopards, elephants, horses, panthers and even giraffes which were used as game for hunts. The eco-system took over as the animals were natural carriers that facilitated pollination and hence attributed to the exotic diversity.
The obsession with botany holds true for Italy, and has made its way through art and fashion. The upcoming fashion trends reports Versace, Dolce & Gabanna and Gucci -- the holy trinity of Italian fashion will come out with a variety of botanical prints. A copy of 'Gardens of Silk' by Giuliana Atlea that I picked up from the Gucci Museum in Florence narrates the tale behind their most signature scarf -- Flora. Intended for the iconic Grace Kelly, Rodolfo Gucci entrusted artist Vittorio Accornero who created a dazzling scarf depicting flowers that bloomed in all Florentine seasons.
The Gucci scarf -- Flora, which was gifted to Grace Kelly as featured in 'Gardens Of Silk'.
Photo Credit: Michele Secchi
By the end of the trip -- I could not have enough of it -- there was something spectacular about passing dome shaped buildings by the Tiber River (Fiume Tevere) and having delicate palms cast their shadows over the mustard -- colored walls. My gaze would always move to the exotic foliage on display, rather than observing the building itself.