A late 16th century garden in Ponte dell’Elce (Viterbo, Italy): research improvement and conservation issues

The Ponte dell’Elce site has a long and interesting history. Its peculiarities are the continuous exploitation of the natural resources and the significant changes of use since the Middle Ages. Compared to previous studies, this research has improved the study of the topographic-archaeological context of the entire site and the study of the historical artistic and vegetational/botanical aspects of the historical garden. Finally, the state of abandonment and degradation and the exposure to thefts and damages of the architectural and sculptural heritage require us to reflect on the conservation issues.