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Rea Botanical Garden is in Val Sangone, in the heart of the Cottian Alps, at 1.476 ft meters above sea level. It was established by the passionate botanist Giuseppe Giovanni Bellia, in 1961.
In 1968, the garden launched its own “Rea Information Bulletin” in honour of Giovanni Francesco Rea, one of the first botanists who studied the flora of Val di Susa and Val Sangone.

In 1989, the garden was purchased by the Piedmont Region for a dual purpose: to integrate the collections and implement several cultural activities of the Regional Museum of Natural Sciences of Turin. In 1992, it was eventually opened to the public.
The Rea Botanical Garden is now managed by Val Sangone Mountain Community and over the years, it has become an important facility for botanical research and the study of the regional flora – also thanks to the contributions of the Museum of Piedmont in Turin.

THE FLORA

More than 2.500 plant species are grown in this garden: some of them come from the collections of Biella, while some others are new acquisitions and natural discoveries. The collections of succulent and carnivorous plants, grown in special heated greenhouses, are among the most interesting in this garden. Their natural habitats were painstakingly reproduced, arranging each collection according to its specific biological features and needs.

The grassy areas of the garden are home to collections of trees and shrubs, especially ornamental and food species, from all over the world.
There are also four greenhouses: one with an arid climate for succulent plants, a tropical and humid environment, a winter shelter also used for carnivorous plants, and a cold habitat for potted plants.

Finally, there are tanks with aquatic plants, aquatic carnivorous species, pots of ferns, Sedum spp., Saxifraga spp. and Sempervivum spp.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)