[...] It was a great privilege, and a high light of your visit to Sicily, to see your beautiful house and garden. The garden was of great interest to us, and we thought your mixing of different shapes was especially artistic and a joy to see. I enjoyed seeing my fellow country man, the black boy, propped on his elbow. [...]

Valeria Stanton, Bungay, Suffolk

[...] We are impressed by what you have achieved and delighted by the beauty you have created. The variety of plants, light and shade and the depth of yours gardens were a work of art. [...]

Heidi Gildemeister, President Mediterranean Garden Society

[...] It was a great pleasure first to meet you and your charming husband and then to be shown around by you, so that you could explain to us, how this magical garden was created. It is truly extraordinary, quite unbelievable and must take you feel so proud. What a wonderful achievement. [...]

Violando Embiricos

[...] the "succulent" garden is so unique! I especially like all green gardens. I am an architectural designer, so the elegant simplicity of your villa was so appealing, and definitely suits my America sensibility. [...]

Melvin Dwork

[...] But, words escape me when I remember the beautiful gardens you have created. You are an inspiration to all of us who aspire to being gardeners! [...]

Elinor K. Farquhar, Washington D.C.

Dear friend, it won't be easy to forget our visit to Il Biviere. We were won over by the atmosphere and the many unusual and inspiring ideas. The interesting presentation in the chapel, the garden where aloes and agaves reign, the old sailboat, the bejewelled tree trunks, the delicious food, and above all the kindness of the hosts, gave Il Biviere a place in our hearts. [...]

Vittorio Santagostino, President of the Lombardy Horticultural Society

[...] The Borghese garden teaches us to overcome adversity and not to surrender when faced with a dark horizon that seems to be devoid of any signs of a benevolent or exceptional nature. Now, there is a green paradise, with a vault of adult trees that lead the visitor to believe that Nature has softened and decided to offset the surrounding desolation, by allowing a garden to flourish across around 3 hectares of land. [...]

"Financial Times" 26th October 1996

As I said to his daughter, coming to Il Biviere was an immensely sweet experience: the colours of the flowers, the precious green of the meadows and the plants, along with their exquisite hospitality, meant this would be an experience to keep in my heart as something to remember when times were bad. You could feel their love all around for the beauty of nature and the continuous, passionate work they had done.

Marco Matteucci, Merano

[...] It was wonderful for us to see a garden conceived with such originality and imagination combined with such horticultural expertise and faultless good taste. It was a sane treat for us to see such a place so unique in its situation and realization. [...] Il Biviere's threes-a-half hectare garden is not only a remarkable horticultural achievement but it changes our view of the way in which a succulent garden can be made.

Patrick Bowe, Architect and Garden Designer

[...] You gave us a fascinating afternoon and I came away amazed and impressed by your energy and creative vision in the making of a truly magical garden. I do hope you will tell the story of the house, the lake and its extraordinary transformation as I think it both a fascinating story and a wonderful subject for an illustrated book. [...]

Peter Lauritzen, Venezia

Dear Principessa, I am very glad that we saved up your garden for the final visit on the tour. All the garden enthusiasts, were ecstatic, and Robin Lane Fox equates your garden with Ninfa, which is praise indeed. [...]

Charles FitzRoy, London

[...] I don't think I've ever seen a garden lovelier than yours, and I'm certain I've never seen one privately owned with such an incredible variety of uniquely wonderful trees and shrubs. The more I think about them, remember, the more I marvel at the way you and your husband have been able to incorporate such diverse elements into such a harmonious and elegant whole. [...]

Nancy S. Ross

[...] My husband says he learnt so much about your trees he was delighted. And I found the juxtaposition of shapes and forms and textures amongst the bushes and trees you did with such artistry [...]

Rachel Holtam, Dorchester, Dorset

Dear friend, in my soul I still hold the memory of your fascinating Mediterranean paradise, the array of greenery and flowers and the kindness of the owners. For us, from Verona, everything represented the hospitality of a land that had just been rediscovered but immediately loved. Thank you for welcoming us with so much affection and acquainting us with such a varied, enchanting selection of flora. [...]

Mina Veronese de Poli, Verona

Dear friends, I remember the day I spent a short break at your welcoming home in Biviere a week ago, it was like a dream that spanned varied days of courses and work. I was left with a profound and sincere admiration for the place. [...]

Giuliano Vassalli, Rome

[...] all the delights of this jewel of a garden were created from nothing, with a great deal of passion and skill. It is really extraordinary the work that has been done to get such an amazing result in just a few years, it was certainly worth the sacrifice. We were all enchanted.

Marisa Sgaravatti, President of the Società Amici del Giardinaggio (Friends of Gardening Society).