Forestiere Underground Gardens
Encyclopedia
Forestiere Underground Gardens Located at 5021 West Shaw Avenue in Fresno, California
are an unusual manmade creation built by Baldasare Forestiere, an immigrant from Sicily
, over a period of 40 years from 1906 to until his death in 1946. The gardens, while subterranean, have many skylights and catchbasins for water. There is a wide variety of hybrids and grafted trees, and the underground temperature helps guard against frost. It is operated by members of the Forestiere family through the Forestiere Historical Center, and can be considered a spectacular and unconventional example of vernacular architecture
.
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
are an unusual manmade creation built by Baldasare Forestiere, an immigrant from Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, over a period of 40 years from 1906 to until his death in 1946. The gardens, while subterranean, have many skylights and catchbasins for water. There is a wide variety of hybrids and grafted trees, and the underground temperature helps guard against frost. It is operated by members of the Forestiere family through the Forestiere Historical Center, and can be considered a spectacular and unconventional example of vernacular architecture
Vernacular architecture
Vernacular architecture is a term used to categorize methods of construction which use locally available resources and traditions to address local needs and circumstances. Vernacular architecture tends to evolve over time to reflect the environmental, cultural and historical context in which it...
.
See also
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, a unique residence located in HerzliyaHerzliyaHerzliya is a city in the central coast of Israel, at the western part of the Tel Aviv District. It has a population of 87,000 residents. Named after Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern Zionism, Herzliya covers an area of 26 km²...
, IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
with intricate mosaics entirely constructed by one man over thirty years. - Watts TowersWatts TowersThe Watts Towers or Towers of Simon Rodia in the Watts district of Los Angeles, California, is a collection of 17 interconnected structures, two of which reach heights of over 99 feet . The Towers were built by Italian immigrant construction worker Sabato Rodia in his spare time over a period of...
in Los Angeles, a collection of 17 interconnected structures, built by Italian immigrant Sabato ("Sam" or "Simon") Rodia - Nitt Witt RidgeNitt Witt RidgeNitt Witt Ridge is a house on two-and-a-half-acres in Cambria, California, located at 881 Hillcrest Dr, Cambria Pines. Artist/recluse Arthur "Art" Harold Beal Nitt Witt Ridge is a house on two-and-a-half-acres in Cambria, California, located at 881 Hillcrest Dr, Cambria Pines. Artist/recluse...
a house in Cambria, CaliforniaCambria, CaliforniaCambria is a seaside village located midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on the California State Route 1 . The name Cambria was settled upon in 1869 .It is a census-designated place in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States...
constructed in a similar style. - Ferdinand ChevalFerdinand ChevalFerdinand Cheval was a French postman who spent thirty-three years of his life building Le Palais Idéal in Hauterives...
, a french postman who constructed an "ideal palace" out of rocks in his spare time. - House on the RockHouse on the RockThe House on the Rock, originally opened in 1959, is a complex of architecturally unique rooms, streets, gardens and shops designed by Alex Jordan, Jr...
Alex Jordan,Jr. constructed "Japanese House" atop rock pinnacle in Spring GreenSpring GreenSpring Green in geography may refer to:* Spring Green, Wisconsin* Spring Green, LancashireOther* Spring green , the color on the color wheel halfway between cyan and green...
, WI.