Private Garden - Villa Orsi - Pieve di Compito - Italy
In the village of Pieve di Compito, during its annual camellia festival, the Mostra Antiche Camelie delle Lucchesia you can visit private villas open especially to the public. Let's start our visits with Villa Orsi. It is an old country house. Camellias were planted there in the middle of the 19th century. The most remarkable and famous is 'Madame Pépin' which can also be found at the Camellietum. The garden of course has other old camellia plants.
Villa Orsi and below the hedge of old camellias, which is below the garden.
Closer to the hedge of old camellias. In the garden, there are old cultivars, like 'Bonardii' below.
We then go up in front of the Villa to meet 'Madame Pépin'.
Near the Villa, here is the most famous camellia in the collection, 'Madame Pépin' obtained in 1855 by a Frenchman, Mr. Pépin, based in Pisa. Hence this very French name for an Italian camellia. This plant was planted around 1860. We also have the detail of the flower, very characteristic, with this magnificent gradient of pink. We find it at the Camellietum. The Villa Orsi gives the scale of the tree.
And here is 'Paolina Maggi', another famous camellia from the Villa Orsi. It is recognizable by its discreet pink streak.
This camellia is Belgian, it was obtained in Ghent in 1835.
Let's continue the visits to the villas of Pieve di Compito, with the Villa Borrini and the Chiusa Borrini.