Admirable and delectable gardens: uiridaria in early medieval Italy

Property documents and placita, alongside a small body of archaeobotanical evidence, suggest a significant change in the planting of cultivated spaces in Italian cities during the early middle ages. This article will chart the usage of a rare term, uiridarium, in the documents of early medieval Italy in order to explore the history of decorative pleasure gardens between c. 600-c. 1000. A few charters refer to enclosed gardens called uiridaria attached to houses of the highest status people in Italy: dukes, kings, emperors, and bishops. We have a glimpse of how they were used and here examine the role played by ornamental gardens in the performance of the highest echelons of power in Italy.