Parks and gardens like authentic open-air museums to explore and “breathe”. The “living” cultural heritage is revealed through over 300 events hosted in over 200 parks and gardens, some open exceptionally, as part of the “Appointment in the Garden” initiative.
The event, which will take place on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 June, is promoted by APGI – the Italian Parks and Gardens Association with the patronage of the Ministry of Culture and ANCI – the National Association of Italian Municipalities, with the support of Ales Spa and the contribution of ICS-Istituto per il Credito Sportivo.
Now in its sixth edition, the event was born in accordance with Meet at the gardens, which will take place simultaneously in over 20 European countries. The appointment, which will involve, among the numerous players, gardeners, botanists, private and public managers, foundations, with the aim of telling the universe of the garden and its cultural and environmental relevance, will allow the public to range from emblematic places historical to small amateur gardens, from botanical gardens to more contemporary spaces.
Villa Monastero (Varenna) | Photo: © Christian Sciannamè
In some cases it will be extraordinary openings such as in the case of the village of Buggiano Castello, belonging to the municipality of Buggiano, in the province of Pistoia, where the citrus orchards and secret gardens will be exceptionally open. Some important UNESCO sites will also join the initiative, such as Villa D’Este, the Royal Palace of Caserta, the Medici Gardens of Boboli and Cerreto Guidi. And twelve FAI sites such as the Garden of Kolymbethra in Agrigento – an archaeological and agricultural jewel that tells the story of ancient Akragas with its finds and hypogea, excavated 2500 years ago – and Villa della Porta Bozzolo, a stone’s throw from the lake Maggiore, a country house in the sixteenth century, a sumptuous summer residence in the eighteenth century, which rattles off the story of a wealthy Lombard family, amidst rococo-style frescoed halls and a spectacular and monumental Italian garden.
“Next weekend – comments the general secretary of the MiC Mario Turetta – the public will have the opportunity to get to know and appreciate the extraordinary beauty of the historical and artistic heritage of numerous Italian gardens, many of these object of the investment 2.3 of the PNRR of the MiC, also aimed at the regeneration and redevelopment of parks and gardens”. “Appointment in the garden” will also be an opportunity to visit some private historic homes that will open their refined gardens, from Villa Zileri Motterle to the Castle of Thiene, in Veneto, from the sixteenth-century Villa Pozzolini, not far from Florence, to the Castle of Torre in Pietra, in Lazio, a fascinating architectural complex of medieval origin, with evidence of 17th-18th century architecture and painting, to Villa Miralfiore in Pesaro, a significant example of a 16th-century garden.
Catajo Castle (Battaglia Terme) | Photo: © Catajo Castle
Italian municipalities are also joining the initiative, aware that parks and gardens, as well as offering fundamental ecosystem services, can be places of learning and socializing, as well as an important attractive factor. From the Trentino center of Lavis, with the spectacular Giardino dei Ciucioi, to Cittanova, in the province of Reggio Calabria, with Villa Carlo Ruggiero, one of the most interesting examples of Villa Comunale in the South, the adhesions are numerous. There is no shortage of special activities proposed for this “garden party”, conceived as a cultural offer aimed at the whole family, including guided tours, workshops for children, yoga courses, and tastings.
From north to south, Red string of the event will be the numerous musical moments, in the wake of the theme suggested for the 2023 edition: “the music of the garden”. If the musicality of the water will accompany the visitors’ itinerary in Villa Lante (Lazio) and in the Baroque garden of Valsanzibio (Veneto), the sounds inspired by nature will echo in Casa Lajolo in the ancient village of San Vito, on the hill of Piossasco, in province of Turin, and at Villa Garzoni in the province of Pistoia. In the “Daniela Brescia” botanical garden, on the Majella, the visit to the garden will be punctuated by songs related to the history of transhumance, serenades and skips, while concerts in the garden of the Academy of Fine Arts and in Villa Durazzo are not to be missed Pallavicini, in Pegli, and in the garden of Villa Bonaparte in Rome.
Villa Bonaparte (Rome) | Photo: © French Embassy to the Holy See