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Course overview

Join renowned garden writer and broadcaster Deborah Trentham, founder of the Garden Historians group, for an online evening course exploring the transformation of gardens from the practical plots of the medieval world into the carefully designed, symbol-rich environments of the Italian Renaissance.

This is not just a story of plants and layouts, but of ideas. As we shall discover, Renaissance gardens were conceived as works of art in their own right, spaces where architecture, sculpture, mythology, and landscape design come together. Inspired by classical literature, including the letters of Pliny the Younger and the poetry of Ovid, designers created gardens that invited visitors to read, interpret, and experience them much like a painting or a poem.

We will also explore how gardens functioned as powerful cultural statements. In Florence and beyond, patrons such as the Medici family used gardens to project authority, learning, and artistic taste, placing them at the heart of Renaissance art and politics.

Through sites such as the Villa Medici, the Boboli Gardens, the imaginative Sacro Bosco, and the grand Villa Farnese, we will see how gardens operate as immersive artworks, spaces to be walked through, interpreted, and experienced.

Whether you are interested in gardening, art history, or the wider culture of the Renaissance, this course offers a rich and visually engaging journey into the origins of the modern garden.

Term dates

•  Autumn Term: week beginning 12 October 2026 until week ending 11 December 2026

Any questions?

If you have any questions about the content of this course please contact the tutor, Deborah Trentham: debs@thegardenhistorians.co.uk 

If you have any questions about enrolment please contact the Imperial after:hours Administrator, Christian Jacobi: c.jacobi@imperial.ac.uk

Class recordings

Recordings of these classes will be available (T&Cs apply).

Imperial certificates

This course has no exams or assessments, so you can focus on enjoying your learning. Regular attendance may also lead to the award of an Imperial attendance certificate. (T&Cs apply).