Located on the shores of Lake Lugano in the Castagnola district, the park was built in Art Nouveau style in 1931, at the same time as Villa Heleneum, a faithful copy of the Petit Trianon of Versailles.
From 1989 to 2015 the villa inside the park was the seat of the Museum of Cultures of the City of Lugano, now moved to the Villa Malpensata.
Thanks to the particular microclimate that characterizes the perimeter and the nearby town of Gandria in general, a rich Mediterranean vegetation blooms annually in the garden, not found elsewhere in Lugano. Lemons, oranges, grapefruits and Chinese mandarins, as well as date and chile palms withstand the Ticino winters.
You can also see a collection of very rare camellias, blue and white Agapanthus, very fragrant Ginger plants, wisteria and roses of many qualities alongside cedar trees, cypresses, Japanese medlars and a majestic Australian Eucalyptus.