Italy has a millenary past. Since the beginning of human history, its land has been conquered and inhabited by a great number of populations. Arabs, Greeks, Romans, Etruscans, and many more: they all settled in a part of Italy for a while, bringing with them a bunch of culture, traditions and religions. Then, in 1861, all of the regions in the peninsula were united under a single reign, becoming the country that we know as Italy. As you can imagine, the nation was a real melting-pot. Coming from years and years of disparate dominations, it had acquired many different. traditions and myths, which then contributed to create the present Italy! This is the reason why foreign cultures, traditions and mythology can be found in places and locations around the country, and in the etymology of many words. As an example, do you know where Villa Zagara takes its name from?
The meaning of Zagara
The word Zagara comes from an Arab term, zahr, which can be translated as bl ooming. In English, Zagara stands for “the blossom of the orange, lemon, and other citrus”. In fact, as you would see visiting the magic Villa, it has more than 300 citrus trees. These are not just beautiful, but also representative of a worldwide known symbol: the lemons of Sorrento . Their peculiarity stands in the methods of cultivation and sizes: each lemon weighs around 85 grams! They make awesome plates – have you ever tried the babà al limone (with lemons)? – but also the amazing and famous Limoncello!
The orange blossom
The use of Zagara, the orange blossom, is very spread in the wedding rituals. There are many legends that explain why this happens. According to one of them, the reason why orange blossoms are associated with marriages has to do with Ancient Greek mythology. On the occasion of its wedding, Zeus received an orange tree as a gift from Gaia, the Goddess of Heart. This is the reason why orange blossoms are connected with marriages, and are considered to bring good luck!
Villa Zagara and the mythology
As you can see, the roots of Villa Zagara can be found into mythology and ancient cultures! Walking by the amazing gardens of the Villa, you can actually find many mythological statues. For example, you can admire the Apollo del Belvedere , but also Hebe , daughter of Zeus and Hera, as well as the Puttino Tirabaci, which you have surely seen in Ancient Greece books. The last one represents the young figure of Eros, the God of Love. Such a romantic statue for framing your wedding day, don’t you think?
Anyway, these are the reasons why we say that in Villa Zagara there is a secret garden where mythology meets tradition.
Also, did you know that, in ancient mythology, Sorrento was famous for its mermaids? As stated in the Odyssey written by Homer, close to Sorrento there were three mermaids that, singing, enchanted the sailors. Since Ulysses was able to escape from their spell, they three themselves into the sea, turning into rocks. According to the legend, this is why, close to Punta Campanella, in Sorrento, you can see three small islands!
Orange blossoms, mermaids, mythological statues…. If you like ancient cultures and myths, Villa Zagara is surely the best place to celebrate
your special event!
