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| Forestiere Underground Gardens |
| What are the Forestiere Underground Gardens? |
| Official Web site and content copyright 2008 by Forestiere Underground Gardens LLC / All Rights Reserved Terms of Use and Disclaimer / Privacy Policy |
| Since 1906 |
| Over 100 years-old! |
| 5021 W. Shaw Avenue Fresno, California 93722 Tel: 559-271-0734 Just 2 blocks east of HIghway 99 |
| Forestiere Underground Gardens have been featured in The New York Times (2006), The Los Angeles Times (2004), Sunset Magazine (1999), Home and Garden Television (HGTV), Huell Howser' s California Gold, Via AAA Magazine |
The Underground Gardens are the life-long devotion and
hobby of Baldassare Forestiere, a Sicilian immigrant who
came to America in 1901 to escape the iron rule of his
wealthy father and pursue his own dreams. The Gardens
are a subterranean complex of patios, grottos, and garden
courts interconnecting with passageways that encircle the
living quarters of the self-taught artist and builder who sought
to escape the brutal heat of Fresno summers.
Forestiere patterned his underground world after the ancient
catacombs, which he so admired as a boy. Arches and
passageways dominate the underground landscape while the
stonework provides stability and beauty. But unlike the dark
catacombs that protected the remnants of the lifeless,
Forestiere designed well-lit courtyards and grottos to bring
forth the radiance and vitality of life.
No plans were put on paper; each room and passageway
originated in Forestiere’s mind as he went. With the simple
tools of a farmer—a pick, a shovel, and a wheelbarrow—the
young immigrant dug, chipped, and carved the unforgiving
hardpan land for 40 years in his spare time. By the time he
was 44 years-old, he had excavated and planted over 10
acres.
But the humble immigrant’s genius did not stop there.
Incredibly, Forestiere planted multiple varieties of fruit-bearing
plants at different underground levels. Oranges, lemons,
grapefruits—many on a single tree—as well as more unusual
varieties like kumquat, loquat, jujube, strawberry, quince, and
dates could be easily plucked from the surface by simply
bending down. Wine and table grapes also grace this
sanctuary, and dangle lusciously in great clumps every-
where---truly an oasis in a modern-day desert of pavement.
hobby of Baldassare Forestiere, a Sicilian immigrant who
came to America in 1901 to escape the iron rule of his
wealthy father and pursue his own dreams. The Gardens
are a subterranean complex of patios, grottos, and garden
courts interconnecting with passageways that encircle the
living quarters of the self-taught artist and builder who sought
to escape the brutal heat of Fresno summers.
Forestiere patterned his underground world after the ancient
catacombs, which he so admired as a boy. Arches and
passageways dominate the underground landscape while the
stonework provides stability and beauty. But unlike the dark
catacombs that protected the remnants of the lifeless,
Forestiere designed well-lit courtyards and grottos to bring
forth the radiance and vitality of life.
No plans were put on paper; each room and passageway
originated in Forestiere’s mind as he went. With the simple
tools of a farmer—a pick, a shovel, and a wheelbarrow—the
young immigrant dug, chipped, and carved the unforgiving
hardpan land for 40 years in his spare time. By the time he
was 44 years-old, he had excavated and planted over 10
acres.
But the humble immigrant’s genius did not stop there.
Incredibly, Forestiere planted multiple varieties of fruit-bearing
plants at different underground levels. Oranges, lemons,
grapefruits—many on a single tree—as well as more unusual
varieties like kumquat, loquat, jujube, strawberry, quince, and
dates could be easily plucked from the surface by simply
bending down. Wine and table grapes also grace this
sanctuary, and dangle lusciously in great clumps every-
where---truly an oasis in a modern-day desert of pavement.
| And Now..... The Wall Street Journal, August 28, 2008 |