In the wake of French examples, the Rose Garden was born towards the late 19th century on a terraced plot purchased by the Commune of Florence when the city was capital of Italy. Situated between the scenographic Piazzale Michelangelo and via de’ Bastioni (at the San Niccolò gate), it has numerous varieties of roses. The irrigation system, installed when the garden was remodelled, is also worthy of note: the water-tank is situated up in the woods behind the loggia of Piazzale Michelangelo, while pipes deliver water to the garden mains. In 1998, it was embellished by an international "space" with the creation of «Shorai», a Japanese garden donated to the city of Florence by the city of Kyoto, and the Zen temple «Kodai-Ji».