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The Flower Museum: Botany, Biodiversity and Traditions of Tuscia in the Monte Rufeno Nature Reserve
The Museo del Fiore is located in Casale Giardino, 7 km from the centre of Acquapendente, in the Monte Rufeno Nature Reserve. The museum was established in 1996 as an environmental education centre to document the flora and ecosystems of the Tuscia region of Viterbo. The venue is a renovated rural farmhouse, nestled in woods consisting of Turkey oaks and downy oaks 650 metres above sea level. The exhibition is arranged over two floors, with themed rooms dedicated to local botany, volcanic geology and peasant traditions.
The Museum Sections
The route begins with geology: volcanic rocks, fossils and a reconstruction of the volcanic landscape that formed the Alfina plateau. The botanical section displays herbaria, seeds, reproductions of flowers and plants from the reserve, with a focus on endemic and protected species. There is also a room dedicated to traditional plant uses: natural dyes, medicinal herbs, willow basketry. The final room documents the Festa dei Pugnaloni, a festival of floral mosaics created with petals and leaves dotted around the streets of Acquapendente every May.
Visiting and Trails
Nature trails depart from the museum, crossing the reserve with marked routes among beeches, maples and springs. The shortest lasts 30 minutes, the longest 3 hours. The reserve protects 2,893 hectares of woods, pastures and valleys. The museum organises workshops for schools and families on plant identification, nature photography and animal tracks.
