The idea of the ‘secret garden’ in Sicily is linked to Arab-Norman culture, which often concealed flourishing green courtyards behind severe outer walls. The ancient Sicilian garden was not merely a place of leisure, but a complex ecosystem in its own right. Its appearance changed over the centuries. During the Arab period (between the ninth and eleventh centuries), the hortus conclusus emerged: a protected, enclosed space where water was the central element. The Arabs introduced sophisticated irrigation systems such as qanat and surface channels known as saie. During Norman rule, the sovereigns transformed the gardens into large royal parks known as Sollazzi Regi. The most famous was the Genoardo (from the Arabic Jannat al-ard, meaning ‘Heaven on Earth’), which included palazzos such as the Zisa and the Cuba, surrounded by pools of water and citrus groves. In the Baroque and nineteenth-century periods, the garden became more theatrical, with monumental fountains and the introduction of exotic plants brought back from botanical expeditions, such as palms, which became emblematic of Sicilian rural estates. The essential element for all this was, of course, water. Managed using saie (masonry channels) and zappeddi (small sluices used to divert the flow), water was used to irrigate the conche, the basins created around tree trunks. At the symbolic heart of the garden stood the citrus grove, with oranges, lemons, and citrons, enriched by aromatic plants such as jasmine, rosemary and bay, and by hardy trees such as carob and prickly pear.

All the architectural features of the garden are made of stone: dry-stone walls, built seating decorated with majolica, and terracotta or local-stone paving defining the pathways. Gardens and narrow lanes often became the setting for romantic serenades dedicated to a beloved woman.