Landscape Information
Envisioned as an exclusive resort, this 277-acre desert site was purchased by Italian immigrant Alessio Carraro. Construction on the Tovrea Castle began in 1928 and the property was transformed by the Russian landscape gardener “Mokta” Moktachev into an extensive desert garden.
Shortly after completion, adjoining landowners began building livestock pens to supply a nearby meat packing plant owned by Edward Tovrea. Discouraged, Carraro sold the property to Tovrea in 1931. After the death of Tovrea’s widow in 1969, the property entered an extended period of decline.
In 1993, the city of Phoenix acquired the castle. By 2003 over 43 acres had been set aside for preservation, and in 2006 work began on restoring the gardens. Diseased and dead plants were removed, 352 saguaro cacti were planted, and over 2,000 other cacti relocated. Currently the park includes more than 5,000 individual cacti and over 100 different varieties. Tovrea Castle was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.
