The Pavillon alpine garden

The Saussurea Botanical Garden is a unique ecosystem in which small botanical wonders coexist that would be impossible to encounter in nature in the space of so few metres.

THE IMPORTANCE OF AN ALPINE GARDEN

What is the purpose of an alpine garden?

Here are its functions:

Systematic – demonstrative: by cultivating as many species as possible, it is possible to have an extensive plant collection and a differentiated and prolonged flowering. In this way, the flora of the area is best represented.
Educational: In order to get to know the different plant forms, it is important to be able to name them and place them in the world. The Garden facilitates this knowledge by subdividing the plants into geographical areas or environments and indicating them clearly by means of signs and explanatory panels. An additional educational function is performed by exhibitions, brochures and guides.
Experimental restocking: this is carried out by cultivating species of a certain interest such as rare, endangered or those with particular practical applications. These include officinal or essential species.
Floristic research: this function is carried out by studying the flora of the area surrounding the Garden and the neighbouring valleys.
Alpine flora conservation: through the selection of species and the maintenance of natural environments, the Garden seeks to conserve the plant biodiversity of the Alps.

The Gardens were founded in 1984, atop a glacial promontory that is part of the Mont Blanc massif: Mont Fréty.

The support provided by the Italian Department of Forestry and the Autonomous Region of Valle d’Aosta was important for its realization. However, there would be no Gardens were it not for the efforts of Dr. Laurent Ferretti, an enthusiastic admirer of alpine flora who was instrumental to the Gardens’ realization. Ferretti also founded the “Fondazione Donzelli, Gilberti e Ferretti”, still active today though under another name, the Saussurea Foundation, which manages the Gardens. Officially inaugurated in 1987 and primarily dedicated to tourism, the Gardens have gradually taken on a more scientific role.

At an elevation of 2175 meters asl, the Saussurea Alpine Botanical Gardens are the highest in Europe. They take their name from the flower Saussurea alpina, so called in honor of the Geneva-born scientist Horace Bénédict de Saussure, promoter of the first ascent of Mont Blanc, in 1786.

The Chalet

The exploration of the Gardens begins in the Chalet, completely restructured during the summer of 2019. Inside it, mutlimedia installations make the visitors’ experience even more complete, and the ceiling is decorated with a new illustrated botanical atlas.

Exhibition route

A unique experience awaits you when you leave the Chalet: an itinerary that will answer your questions about the varieties of plants, rocks and animals present in the gardens and its surroundings while sparking your curiosity with forays into other disciplines and little-known facts. At Saussurea exploration is accessible to everyone: during the summer of 2019 we installed ramps and easy access pathways, making it possible for those in wheelchairs or with limited mobility to enjoy the gardens in comfort.

THE SEASONS

An incredible amount of things go on in a very short span of time within the 7000 square meters that are home to the little marvels of the Gardens: the plants go through their entire growth cycle in just three months. They begin to bloom when summer is already well under way and continue until its peak, in late July. When summer ends, the snow soon returns, burying the plants under a layer 3-4 meters deep.