Giardino Vegetazionale Astego (Pieve del Grappa)

Astego is a terraced vegetation garden on the southern slopes of Monte Grappa, in Pieve del Grappa. Across about 2.5 hectares, it recreates a sequence of habitats from the mountain heights to the Veneto plain.

Why it matters

The garden grew from a forestry nursery established in 1920 to restore woodland damaged during the First World War. Its later transformation joined that practical conservation history with environmental education.

What to notice

Dry-stone walls divide the sloping ground into terraces. Different sections represent rocky slopes, mountain grassland, woodland and farmland. Plant collections include herbaceous and shrub species, wild orchids and medicinal plants. A further section interprets fungi in different forest environments. Displays about tree rings connect living plants with the passage of time.

Context and history

The State Forestry Corps created the nursery in 1920. Management passed to the regional forestry service in 1986. In 2000, nursery production moved to Montecchio Precalcino and Astego became a vegetation garden. Veneto Agricoltura took over its management in 2018: that date marks an administrative change, not the garden’s foundation.