The International Friends of Ninfa

Who we are

WHO WE ARE

The Association was formed by constitution, dated October 2004, and has charitable status for tax purposes.

Our primary aim is to help ensure the ‘perfect conservation’ of the Garden of Ninfa according to the wishes of Donna Lelia Caetani, last family owner of the Ninfa estates. We do this in a variety of ways: financial, or by means of ideas and skills.

In this, we complement the conservational and cultural aims of Ninfa’s present owner, the Roffredo Caetani Foundation, with which we work closely. This foundation was established by Lelia Caetani in 1972 and today has an important presence in the Pontine region.

There are now over 300 members of IFoN. They are mainly British but also hail from other countries including Italy, the Netherlands, France and the United States.

All our income derives from membership contributions and personal or corporate donations. On occasion we raise additional funds in order to help meet the costs of specific projects related to the garden.

Since 2008, a member of IFoN’s executive committee has been present on the General Council of the Roffredo Caetani Foundation.

All our income derives from membership contributions and personal or corporate donations. On occasion we raise additional funds in order to help meet the costs of specific projects related to the garden.

Our primary aim is to help ensure the ‘perfect conservation’ of the Garden of Ninfa according to the wishes of Donna Lelia Caetani, last family owner of the Ninfa estates. We do this by a variety of means: financial, or by means of ideas and skills.

In this, we complement the conservational and cultural aims of Ninfa’s present owner, the Roffredo Caetani Foundation, with which we work closely. This foundation was established by Lelia Caetani in 1972 and today has an important presence in the Pontine region.

There are now over 300 members of IFoN. They are mainly British but also hail from other countries including Italy, the Netherlands, France and the United States.

Since 2008, a member of IFoN’s executive committee has been present on the General Council of the Roffredo Caetani Foundation.

Patron and Executive Committee

IFoN’s patron is Paola, Lady Nicholas Windsor

Current members of our Executive Committee,
which normally meets twice a year, are:

Lord Howard of Penrith (Chairman)

Marella Caracciolo Chia

Jim Gardiner

Edmund Howard*

Esme Howard**

William Howard

Katia Lysy

Adam Munthe

* Coordinator and member of the general Council of the Foundation
** Membership and Administration

Administration team

Camilla Dunhill
Federica Nardacci
Paolina Rinaldi
Isabella Woods

IFoN Visit the Garden of Ninfa 

OUR AIM

Examples of our work

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Restoration Projects

Restoration of the rock garden (2007) and partial restoration of Ninfa’s most iconic church, St. Maria Maggiore, at a cost of €50,000 (2015).

Acquisition of equipment and machinery

Contributions towards the acquisition of equipment and machinery for the garden, from hydraulic lifts needed to access and manage tall trees, to mowing machines and transportation.

Horticulture

Advice and resourcing of adaptable plants from the UK and from the continent.

Conferences

Diffusion of knowledge about Ninfa and the Caetani through our sponsored UK lectures and conferences.

Projects and research

Sponsorship of research projects and expert reports on the garden.

Culture

Sponsorship of concerts featuring the compositions of Roffredo Caetani, Lelia’s father, and of contributions by IFoN author-members of many articles and several acclaimed books about Ninfa and the Caetani.
IFoN visit Boughton, England’s Versailles

The importance of our work

Ninfa, and all that it stands for, is one of the most exciting environmental and cultural challenges in Europe.
The challenge has three specific dimensions.

The first is that of conserving the garden according to the rigorous standards set by its makers. In our day this is not so easy. Ninfa has always relied on its natural supply of water, now under threat from climate change. This was proven during the severe drought of 2017, with serious consequences for Ninfa’s plant stock and its delicate ecosystem more generally.

The second, no less demanding than the first, is that the garden was created on the twenty-acre site of a medieval town, whose ruined buildings require constant inspection and skilled restoration.

The third is that the Caetani legacy is rooted in culture, the garden well known for having provided inspiration for some of the 20th century’s most significant artists, musicians. writers, poets and academics.

IFoN’s work aims to contribute in some way to the fulfilment of these various challenges. We welcome new members keen to give their support to this unique place.

be a memeber

Benefits of Joining

Membership of IFoN brings with it a range of benefits in kind, among them:

TERMS OF MEMBERSHIP
AND OTHER OPTIONS

Prospective members are offered a choice of annual or life membership and of contribution method. Sponsorship and other opportunities to help Ninfa are also available to members.
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Other Preferential
terms of entry

Members wishing to visit privately in small groups, or on public Open days, are entitled to significantly discounted entry rates for visiting the garden.
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Annual UK
members’ events

Annual UK members’ events organised by IFoN, such as lectures by world-class gardening and plant experts, garden visits (we have visited among others Arundel, Boughton, Southside House and the White House Farm), olive oil tastings and music recitals..

Members’ reunions
at ninfa

Free entry to the garden on specially designated members’ Open Days  which may include, by special arrangement, visits to the Pantanello Park, the arboretum and the charming hortus conclusus, and a buffet lunch subject to weather and numbers. Such Open Days are announced in the annual newsletter. The garden visit is usually of some five hours. Time allowing, a late-afternoon tour of the Caetani castle at Sermoneta, or a visit to Torrecchia or to a local wine producer, may also be possible for those staying in the vicinity.
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Annual
Newsletter

An English-language newsletter, distributed in early spring, on a wide range of general and specific topics concerning Ninfa. These may include the environment, matters of horticultural interest, and coverage of the latest conservation issues in Italy. Specifically, we report on IFoN activities, trends in visitor bookings, on the Pantanello wildlife park, and on restoration and conservation projects vital to Ninfa’ future. Occasionally we feature articles and private garden reports. Members’ contributions and ideas are always welcome.
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how to join

Ifon

Plans for the future

While the majority of Ninfa’s annual visitors are from the Lazio region, the international community of Ninfa lovers is growing and spreading further afield, particularly throughout Italy, across the rest of Europe and in the United States, where Ninfa has important connections.

In the context of climate change, we understand the ‘clear and present’ danger to Ninfa’s ecosystem, to its life-giving waters and to its precious flora and fauna. The task of conserving Ninfa in the next decades will be immense.

We will continue playing our part, helping to support the Foundation as it adapts to new planting strategies, replaces rare or stricken plant species, rebuilds and restores historic buildings, and improves visitor facilities.

History and culture flow through the spirit of Ninfa. IFoN will continue to sponsor cultural events as a means of promoting the garden and widening knowledge of the Caetani family.

Visit ninfa

like an enchanted place...

‘To walk through this extraordinary garden today is to pick your way through a strangely enchanted place ‒ like Sleeping Beauty’s castle in the fairy tale.’

– Jeremy Musson, historian and author, from Country Life, September 2007

The Roffredo Caetani Foundation

Our work complements the conservational and cultural aims of Ninfa’s present owner, the Roffredo Caetani Foundation, with whom we work closely.

The Foundation was established by Lelia Caetani in 1972 and today has an important presence in the Pontine region. Since 2008, a member of IFoN’s executive committee has been present on the General Council of the Foundation.

visit the Foundation site

Patron and Executive Committee

IFoN’s patron is Lady Nicholas (Paola) Windsor

Current members of our Executive Committee, which normally meets twice a year, are:

Lord Howard of Penrith (Chairman)

The Marquess of Lothian

Marella Caracciolo Chia

Jim Gardiner

Edmund Howard*

Esme Howard**

William Howard

Katia Lysy

Adam Munthe

Coordinator and member of the general Council of the Foundation
**Membership and Administration

Administration team:

Camilla Dunhill

 Federica Nardacci

Paolina Rinaldi

Isabella Woods

ifon
The Gallery House, Picketts Lane, Horney Common,
Uckfield, East Sussex TN22 3EG, United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0) 1825 712994

Email: info@friendsofninfa.co.uk

Tel: +44 (0) 1825 712994

Email: info@friendsofninfa.co.uk

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