Boboli Gardens launches blindfolded sensory tours

Starting May 30 through September 23, the Boboli Gardens in Florence introduce 'Giardino dei Sensi', a permanent tactile path in the Giardino della Botanica Superiore designed for blind and visually impaired visitors. Created by Culturaepiù in collaboration with the Uffizi Galleries, the route is navigated blindfolded with a special cane that detects sensors to convey spatial awareness. Guided sensory tours—led by trained sighted or visually impaired guides—emphasize touch, smell, and hearing, with an app providing additional content. The initiative, developed with the Italian Union of the Blind and Visually Impaired of Tuscany, runs on Monday and Thursday mornings by reservation. The Giardino della Botanica Superiore, originally a 17th-century vegetable garden and later a botanical garden for the Museo di Fisica e di Storia Naturale della Specola (1852–1881), underwent restoration in recent decades. Boboli's broader €50 million restoration project is set for completion in 2030, with recent milestones including the reopening of the Giardino delle Camelie. Similar accessible projects exist at Orto Botanico di Brera, Orto Botanico di Lucca, Valle dei Templi in Agrigento, and Florence's Giardino delle Rose.