The park of Castello di Sotto is one of the most interesting in Friuli, both for its exemplary state of conservation and because it marks the beginning, in the area, of the spread of the landscape garden. 

The park was created following a major land reclamation project carried out in the first half of the eighteenth century, thanks to Nicolò Francesco Strassoldo who connected the formal elements of the garden with nature. Swampy and uncultivated areas were reclaimed, creating a layout where water became the dominant artistic element: fountains, wells, ponds, and fishponds formed a natural scenic backdrop to the statues and sometimes rare species. Noteworthy for its particular and unique design is the rectangular island surrounded by a moat that contains a miniature Italian garden and is located at the far end of the park.

Excerpt from the beautiful site www.castellodistrassoldo.it to which we refer for further details and images

"The castle is immersed in an ancient park, bordered by spring-fed watercourses.

The water that sinks deeply at the foot of the mountains and travels dozens of kilometers underground finds in this place an impermeable wall of silt that blocks it and pushes it rapidly to the surface. This creates watercourses, springs, and crystal-clear ponds.

The park of the Castello di Sopra is, therefore, surrounded by rivers and canals and has several wells.

The layout dates back to the early 18th century, like that of the twin Castello di Sotto.

In this era, the defensive function of the complex diminished, and the surrounding marshes, once a protective element, were reclaimed.

It was the brothers Giuseppe and Nicolò Francesco di Strassoldo who undertook major restoration works on the buildings and parks to adapt them to the living standards of the time.

Giuseppe (1700-1783) took care of the upper castle, focusing on the masonry structures and gardens, with the intent of giving the complex the graceful appearance of a typical 18th-century noble residence.

Initially, the park was formal in style, according to the fashion and tastes of the time.

The ancient late Baroque layout is recognized in the large orangery, of which the mighty, beautifully carved columns remain, and the topiary plants of the time, namely carpinus bettulus that line the Milleacque course and the yews, which have now become tall trees, as they have not been pruned for many years.

In the following years, and particularly during the two world wars, the park underwent significant transformations due to a lack of maintenance.

At the end of the 19th century, the landscape style prevailed, which required less maintenance, but the original scheme does not escape the expert eye.

The most imposing tree is an ancient magnolia grandiflora, but there are also impressive specimens of maples, oaks, lagerstroemia, liriodendron, ginkgo biloba, liquidambar, and a beautiful gazebo of palms.

The park is maintained by the owner, who found it in poor condition and restored it, giving it an English flair. Thousands of trees, shrubs, and plants have been planted, and the underground drainage channels have been redone, following the old design. The flowerbeds now abound with boxwoods and collections of English and ancient roses, hydrangeas, salvias, heathers, camellias, dahlias, hellebores, clematis, solanum, and many other species.

The park continues with the garden located behind the Chancellery, situated at the confluence of the Taglio river with the canal dug to operate the rice mill wheel, which divides the two castles.

This is the ancient orchard, which originally hosted fruit and vegetable plants and had central, transverse, and perimeter paths. Today, this area preserves a magnificent 17th-century circular fountain with a double stone ring. In the last twenty years, rows of fruit trees and hibiscus have been replanted on the canal side, weeping willows, alders, taxodium, and many trees in the rest of the garden, such as oaks, maples, ashes, liriodendron, hibiscus, ginkgo biloba, magnolias, birches, beeches, davidia, catalpa, paulownia, sophora, robinia, privets, cypresses, liquidambar.

From this garden, there is a beautiful view of the junction of the rice mill canal with the Taglio river, which flows south. Further on, the Taglio joins the Aussa river, which in turn flows into the Adriatic Sea 22 kilometers from Strassoldo".