On Wednesday 9 April 2025, from 3.30 p.m. at the Auditorium of Villa Farnesina in Rome, the conference The Garden as a project will take place to explore the most innovative approaches for the protection, accessibility and sustainability of historic parks and gardens.
The conference is part of the second edition of the training program Oltre il giardino, an initiative by the Ministry of Culture, the Ex VIII Service of the General Secretariat - Department for General Administration in collaboration with the General Directorate for Education, Research and Cultural Institutes - Department for Cultural Activities, curated and realized by the National School of Heritage and Cultural Activities. The program is supported by APGI Associazione Parchi e Giardini d'Italia and is funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU as part of the PNRR Culture 4.0.
In the conference program, Hervé Brunon – one of the leading experts in the history of gardens and landscape – recognizes historic gardens as spaces for dialogue between cultural heritage and natural elements and with his speech offers new perspectives on their conservation and enhancement.
Afterwards, with a round table introduced by Alberta Campitelli, vice president of the Italian Parks and Gardens Association, and moderated by journalist Monica d'Onofrio, the most recent projects and experiences of accessibility and participation experimented by some Italian historic gardens will be compared.
Oltre il giardino. Maturare competenze
The conference also marks the beginning of the course Oltre il giardino. Develop skills with which the National School of Cultural Heritage and Activities trains 100 professionals in the care and management of historic parks and gardens. The course includes 70 hours of training between online sessions and face-to-face meetings at the Botanical Garden of Palermo and at the Paternò del Toscano Park in Sant'Agata li Battiati (Catania), partners of this second edition, to experience the skills acquired through laboratory practices in two important Italian historical parks.
Oltre il giardino. Sowing knowledge
For the non-professional public, the Ministry of Culture and the National School of Heritage and Cultural Activities are offering a training course open to all again this year. Already from the title, Oltre il giardino. Sowing knowledge, the intent is to approach and raise public awareness of the themes of the historic garden, to disseminate basic theoretical knowledge and introduce the contents and tools for the enhancement and communication of cultural heritage. The training course is free and available FAD platform of the National School of Heritage and Cultural Activities until 9 June 2025.
How to attend the conference
To participate in the conference The garden as a project, reservation required by 12.00 a.m. on April 9 at the link: https://bit.ly/Ilgiardinocomeprogetto.
Participants involved in the Oltre il giardino training – both in the Develop skills course and in the Sowing knowledge course – will obtain an Open badge, the digital certification standard of knowledge and skills acquired used at European level and expendable in all European and national venues.
The program of the 9 April
Guided tour of the gardens of Villa Farnesina by Virginia Lapenta, curator of Villa Farnesina
Institutional greetings
- Lucia Tomasi Tongiorgi, National Academy of Lincei
- Angelantonio Orlando, Ministry of Culture, DiAG – former Secretariat-General, Mission Unit for the implementation of the PNRR
- Lugi Scaroina, Ministry of Culture, DiAG – former Secretariat General, NRRP Implementation and Coordination of Strategic Programming
- Alessandra Franzone, Ministry of Culture, DiAC – General Directorate for Education, Research and Cultural Institutes
- Onofrio Cutaia, National School of Heritage and Cultural Activities
- Presentation of the training courseOltre il Giardino curated by Martina De Luca and Elena Pelosi, National School of Heritage and Cultural Activities
Lectio magistralisì The garden as a dialogue between art and nature by Hervé Brunon, historian of gardens and landscape
Round table Participation and accessibility in historic gardens. Comparing experiences and projects
- Introducing Alberta Campitelli, APGI Association of Parks and Gardens of Italy, moderates Monica D’Onofrio, Rai Radio 3.
- Speakers Ilaria Batassa, Villa del Colle del Cardinale, Mara Sugni, Botanical Garden of Bergamo, Alessandra Vinciguerra, La Mortella Gardens, Paola Viola, Reggia di Caserta