Forestiere Underground Gardens

Forestiere Underground Gardens | Historic Site in Fresno, CA

This is one of the locations on my bucket list is this amazing place. I admire and am in awe of the uniqueness and the time it took to create.

Baldassare Forestiere (Italian pronunciation: [baldasˈsarre foreˈstjɛːre]; July 8, 1879 – November 10, 1946 was born in the hamlet of Filari, near Rometta on the northeastern tip of Sicily. He immigrated to the United States in 1901 after a conflict with his father, and after time on the East Coast purchased land in Fresno to pursue his dreams of becoming a citrus farmer. He found the hardpan soil unsuitable for citrus trees, and the weather punishingly hot during the summer.

Baldassare dug a small cellar to escape the summer heat. He was likely influenced by Roman catacombs and wine cellars he had seen in Italy. Finding it effective and comfortable, he carved a series of attached rooms and took up residence there. Baldassare then began experimenting with growing trees in underground chambers with skylights, and found that with care they would grow well, and being below ground protected them from frost.

No plans were put on paper; each room and passageway was created in Forestiere’s mind as he worked. With simple farm tools (a pick, a shovel, and a wheelbarrow) the young immigrant dug, chipped, and carved the unforgiving hardpan for 40 years, all in his spare time! By the time he was 44 years old, he had excavated and planted over 10 acres.

There are 65 rooms in the Forestiere Underground Gardens. It has a summer bedroom, a winter bedroom, a bath, a functional kitchen, a fishpond, and a parlor with a fireplace. Interspersed amongst the beautiful stone walls and archways are grottoes and courtyards that allow for pockets of light. The intricate pathways were created section by section, over a span of 10 acres, without the aid of blueprints, there are three levels within the underground structure, one 10 feet deep, one 20 feet deep, and one 23 feet deep.

The gardens have skylights and catch basins for water. The dirt that was moved to create the large structure was utilized elsewhere to fill planters, create stones placed within the catacombs, and to level out other parts of the land. The pathways and rooms were constructed with various widths to help direct airflow by creating pressure as it moves through narrower portions and maintain movement as it bounces off the slants and curves of the cavernous walls. The conical skylights allow for the hot air to be pushed out more quickly and the cool air to remain below.

In addition to his unique building methods, the humble immigrant was also able to plant multiple varieties of fruit-bearing trees and vines, up to 20 feet underground! Orange, lemon, and grapefruit trees were planted throughout his underground gardens — many varieties growing together on the same tree! Forestiere also grew more unusual varieties like kumquat, loquat, jujube, carob, quince, and dates as well as wine and table grapes. Fruit could easily be plucked from the surface of the gardens by simply bending down. He truly created an oasis in a modern-day desert of pavement!

The plants and trees, some of which are over 100 years old, are protected from the frost in the winter months by virtue of construction. Each level was planted at different times, so they bloom in succession, in order to lengthen the growing season. It houses a variety of fruit ranging from citrus and berries to exotic fruits like the kumquat, loquat, and jujube. The trees have been grafted to bear more than one kind of fruit, allowing for a larger variety to be grown throughout the space. Trees and vines were also planted above the dwelling, acting as insulation and forming canopies that provide protection from the elements.

Baldassare continued expanding and improving these underground gardens until his death in 1946, using hand tools and a pair of mules.

The gardens were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 and registered as No. 916 on the list of California Historical Landmarks in 1978.

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