Since the 12th century the symbol of Florence has been a red lily.

Actually it is not a lily at all but an iris: the florentina (blue veined white) and germanica (dark purple) in particular.

Walk through the countryside in Tuscany between April and May and you’ll see these beautiful flowers grow wild.

Florentines call this type of iris ‘giaggiolo’ and we have been lucky enough this May to have walked through the iris garden which is on the left-hand side of the city’s piazzale Michelangelo.

The garden was founded in 1954 by keen women horticulturalists and every year there’s a competition for new hybrid varieties.

Let these photos taken just after a heavy rainfall show the infinite variety (over 1500!) of Florence’s proud symbol.

Apart from the iris garden there’s a rose garden on the right side of the piazzale where delightful varieties begin to bloom starting this May.

But try to see the iris garden before 20th May when it closes. It’s open daily from 10 to 19.00 at weekends and from 10 to 13.00 and 15.00 to 19.00 from Monday to Friday and it’s free, though donations are welcome, and there is an entrance stall selling iris derived products including deliciously scented soap.

The view from the piazzale itself is magnificently complementary to the garden of Florence’s much loved giaggiolo iris.