As part of the extensions commissioned by Vittoria della Rovere, in 1654 Villa di Poggio Imperiale acquired the so-called “Giardino Grande” (large garden),flanked by a grove of holm oaks. This cam in addition to the two other pre-existing walled-in gardens called “Dei Fiori” (of the flowers) and “Degli Aranci” (of the orange trees), designed by Giulio Parigi to be closely linked to the residence.

The “Giardino Grande” is the only garden remaining today, and it largely retains its original Italian style’ design. On the left side, where the boarding school’s gymnasium now stands, there was once the ‘potting shed’ intended for the sheltering of citrus plants during winter.

On the opposite side, on a line with the central fountain, there is still a terrace overlooking the wild flowerbeds and a staircase to access it designed by Giuseppe Cacialli around 1825. From there, by means of a path below that still exists today, one could exit directly onto the road through a door in the enclosure, now walled up.
The whole garden once featured a rich array of antique or pseudo-antique sculptures and busts, but unfortunately most of them are lost.