SHORT STORIES SET A reconciling walk Text e photographs by Cristina Archinto She went out and the door slammed, more due to the draught from the stairs than to any specific will of her own, but that act certainly reflected her state of mind. Suddenly she found herself outside the house with no clear plan or purpose; she was furious. She looked around, upset and undecided as to what to do; she was certainly not in the mood for a museum and lacked the ability to concentrate on learning something. She cross ed the street almost without realizing it, avoiding being run over by mopeds, scooters and bicycles, unbearable in that city. She had already entered through that gate a few days earlier only to stop almost immediately and lighten up in front of works such as Bernini's Rape of Proserpine or Caravaggio's Cut of Lights at the Villa Borghese Museum, but this time she went straight ahead and entered the park. She walked along a boundary wall where low boxwood hedges and autumn flowers could be seen between steps. As she reached the end, she was attracted to the left by strong autumnal tones of majestic trees. As she approached, she immediately realised that she had arrived in the Platani Valley, a wonderful valley of ancient trees. Once rural, it was tamed into a garden in 1603 by Cardinal Scipione Borghese, the favourite nephew of Pope Paul V. At that time it was a forest of more than forty oriental plane trees with a central basin and two small islands intended for the resting place of ducks and fine birds, including swans that the Cardinal had specially brought in from Brussels. Now there were only nine beautiful specimens left, which had survived for more than four hundred years and seemed to look sternly and wisely at you through their twisted branches and trunks. He continued along the valley with his gaze upwards, admiring these wonders but also keeping an eye out for the dogs that were running wild in this part of the garden. She approached a particularly curved specimen with a large slit in its trunk and looking at its gnarled branches reminded her of that 'Sensei' who a few years earlier had given a special Aikido lesson at his dojo. Two hours immersed in silence with only the rustle of the hakama, his words light, breathing wisdom. Of course now she was a little sorry that Jan was not there that day, they would have reminisced together. The anger was already fading as always, but this time she was more determined to hold on, she would not give in so easily that day. She continued along the valley looking up admiring those wonders but also keeping an eye out for the dogs that were running wild in this part of the garden. She approached a particularly curved specimen with a large slit in its trunk and looking at its gnarled branches reminded her of that 'Sensei' who a few years earlier had given a special Aikido lesson at his dojo. Two hours immersed in silence with only the rustle of the hakama, his words light, breathing wisdom. Of course now she was a little sorry that Jan was not there that day, they would have reminisced together. The anger was already fading as always, but this time she was more determined to hold on, she would not give in so easily that day. She continued along the valley, where she also passed some black walnut trees and horse chestnuts with a certain lift, only to be astonished again by a majestic specimen of hackberry tree with its fluttering leaves that were gradually leaving the branches and its broad, almost perfectly round crown. He, too, reminded her of someone. The art teacher at her high school, round and always smiling, who had taken her under his wing and had not only taught her how to draw but also some philosophies of life that she still used in difficult times. Beautiful person, who knows what had happened to her. She climbed the small hill to reach the small lake of Villa Borghese. A small pool of water embraced by a variety of remarkable trees. It was in 1766 when Prince Marcantonio IV Borghese, a descendant of Scipione, decided to expand the family park by creating the Giardino del Lago with a temple dedicated to the god of medicine Aesculapius. Like all the Borghesi, he too devoted himself, thanks to his huge family fortune and, it must be said in this case, especially that of his wife Princess Anna Maria Salviati, to the pleasures of the Roman aristocratic life, patronising new artists and works, thus enriching the family collection previously squandered by his father. It was he who had a poster put up in the park that read 'Whoever you are, O stranger, provided you are a free man, fear not here the fetters of laws. Walk where you will, seize what you desire, retire when it pleases you. Everything here is arranged for the enjoyment of the foreigner before the owner'. Indeed, the park, although private, had always been the scene of festivities and balls and was often open to citizens from all walks of life. He began the work of embellishing the park of the villa and his son Camillo, known perhaps more for his marriage to Pauline Bonaparte, finished the work. Of course, who knows what the pond must have been like in those days; gossiping ladies strolling under clear parasols, poets extolling their prose, lovers in the throes of love gushing their hot tears into the lake, or artists in the shade of oak trees portraying the beautiful panorama of the 'Villa delle Delizie'. In the meantime, she was enjoying that beautiful autumn landscape of tall pines, some bald cypresses already in warm tones, and that majestic cedar of Lebanon, all making themselves beautiful by reflecting in the lake. Even the little temple had that something. On one side there was also a centuries-old Quecia ilex that stood out for its height and broad foliage. She had never liked holm oaks, she found them sad and gloomy, like Christoffer, her lifelong melancholic and gloomy classmate, who had unnerved her with his grey aura for years. But certainly this was a spectacular specimen that perhaps made her reconsider. She also noticed an elderly lady giving bread to the ducks. She could never get over the unquestioning fascination of feeding animals, nor could she understand how Jan had not been able to remind his boss this morning that he was on holiday. It had taken them months to organise this Roman period, she was going to take a sabbatical, he was going to take his back leave and they were going to go to Rome for the autumn to discover the Eternal City, a dream in both their drawers, but in the end, he had left her alone again today, pass the other days, but not today! She wandered around the lake area again until he reached Piazza di Siena, a huge oval lawn surrounded by cypress trees as straight as spindles. The area was once occupied by a large 17th-century ragnaia, a grove of tall trees where nets were spread to catch small birds. Beautiful cypresses, he thought, they are linear! He smiled to himself at the stupid joke. The anger was definitely waning, surely the credit also went to this somewhat magical place, intrinsic in history made of stones and trees. He continued with his game, Björn no, Erik neither, Astrid? Yes of course, she is a cypress! Obviously tall but with that strange look, silent, because cypresses are certainly silent trees, but happy even if they don't show it. When I get back I'll tell her, who knows how her new project is progressing. Maybe I'll write to her later. After resting a little on the steps at the side of the square, she headed south and found herself in an amazing pine forest. Very tall trees, up to 20 metres tall, with bushy, umbrella-shaped crowns. The high sun intruded between the pine needles, making them almost transparent and silky, and the shadows of the straight trunks created abstract paintings on the green lawn. What a vision! Here, domestic pines were certainly trees that he valued highly, as did the ancient Romans, who spread them throughout the empire! Even today, the pine is considered a symbol of Italy, not least because the English call it Italian stone pine and the French call it Pin d'Italie , and it has even won the prestigious Royal Horicultural Society award. She wandered among the trees enraptured by such beauty. Who did the pines remind him of? Beautiful, tall, majestic but not arrogant, with beautiful bearing, also nice and generous with their pine nuts, and certainly honest, determined and robust. Who knows. She thought for a few minutes. Several names floated through her mind until Jan. Wow, that's really him. Moved and without even realising it, with a big smile on her face, she headed home, having already forgiven the love of her life; her beloved Pinus pinea GALLERY Photo ©CRISTINA ARCHINTO Other SET STORIES AND PARKS TO VISIT Priorato d'Orsan Parco Villa la Grange Parco di Sicurtà Jardin des Plantes Nantes Parco del Flauto Magico Parco di Bercy Parco del valentino

SPAIN BOTANICAL GARDEN OF MADRID Discovering a New World Photographs of Cristina Archinto Text Carla De Agostini and Alessandra Valentinelli I n the centre of Madrid, there is a secluded place where it is still possible to enjoy nature and calm, in the shade of large trees and away from the urban chaos: the Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid in Plaza de Murillo, a stone's throw from the Prado Museum. Full of evocative corners covering more than two centuries of history, the Botanical Garden is a living encyclopaedia open to anyone who wants to discover its plant treasures, with a collection of more than 6,000 species, most of which are of Mediterranean origin (southern Europe and North Africa) and from other areas with a similar climate, such as California, Argentina, Chile, South Africa and southern Australia. The Garden has always been a reference point for botanical research and knowledge, and under the aegis of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas , the Spanish Higher Council for Scientific Research, it was declared a National Monument in 1947. The Garden was opened in 1755 and initially placed on the banks of the Manzanares River by order of Fernando VI, a botany enthusiast. Then, in 1781, Carlos III moved it to the Paseo del Prado where, designed by the architects Francisco Sabatin and Juan de Villanueva, to whom we also owe the Prado Museum and the Astronomical Observatory, the Real Jardín was arranged in different terraces inspired by the Paduan quarters: On the orthogonal plan of the Orchard, Sabatin and Villanueva placed circular fountains at the corners, then built a greenhouse pavilion, now the Villanueva Pavilion, the Herbarium, the Library and the Botanical Hall, as well as the Royal Gate, once the main entrance, in the classical style with Doric columns and pediment. Since its inception, the Real Jardín Botánico has been a privileged place for research and teaching. In fact, it has an immense cultural heritage, the fruit of scientific expeditions carried out during the 18th and 19th centuries, preserved in the Herbarium, Library and Archives. In 1755, Charles III of Bourbon decreed that the Real Jardín Botánico should be the place where all the materials from the scientific expeditions he promoted would converge. In ten years there were four such expeditions: to Chile and the Viceroyalty of Peru in 1777, to Colombia and New Granada in 1783, to New Spain in Mexico and Guatemala in 1787, and to the coasts and islands of the Pacific in 1789. The Garden became the final destination of a network of experts, technicians and researchers who brought drawings, herbaria, seeds and sometimes plants to Madrid. One of the last expeditions was that of Alessandro Malaspina, a captain in the Spanish navy, who sailed from Cadiz to Montevideo in 1789, touching Chile, Peru and Panama, and going as far as Vancouver, Manila and Macao. Returning to Spain in 1794, without the defence of the now deceased Charles III, he ended up imprisoned for his ideas of brotherhood between nations, and then exiled. In fact, Malaspina's philosophy transcends political and military conflicts, and he promotes an exchange of measuring and navigational instruments, books, observations and naturalistic knowledge, which is why he used to leave with a mixed crew, including Germans, French and Italians, accompanied by the best English and Bohemian instruments. Convinced that there is no 'land to discover but a world to know', the cartographers who map coastlines and islands with him then share them with the hydrographic offices in Paris and London. His naturalists, crossing the Andes, inventoried fossils and species with direct analyses that would later perfect the Linnean system. To date, the plants on display are organised on four terraces that take advantage of the irregularities of the terrain. At the corners of the quarters, i.e. the smaller squares inscribed in the geometric design of the individual terraces, are tall, towering trees that serve to refresh and distribute the plant groups. The first terrace is the lowest and most spacious of all, the Terraza de los Cuadros, where the collection of ornamental rose bushes, ancient medicinal and aromatic plants stand out, impregnating the air with unexpected scents along with the fruit trees. Here, the first plants to bloom in January are hellebores, followed by daffodils and crocuses. In April and May one can admire lilies, peonies and roses, and in the warmer summer months the beautiful dahlias appear, colouring the whole garden. The Terraza de los Cuadros is a catwalk of blooms, among the most pleasant in terms of scent and view, where one is always accompanied by the chirping of colourful species that, depending on the season, find solace in their favourite foliage. The second terrace, smaller than the previous one, houses the taxonomic collections of plants, which is why it is called Terraza de las Escuelas. The vegetation is arranged phylogenetically by families, so that the order of the plants can be traced from the most primitive to the most recent. Then there is the romantic-style Plano de la Flor, which houses a great variety of trees and shrubs planted in random order. The terrace is bordered by a wrought-iron pergola, made in 1786, with different varieties of vines, some of them of remarkable age. On the eastern side is the Villanueva Pavilion, built in 1781 as a greenhouse and currently used as a gallery for temporary exhibitions. It is an important centre for bringing the public closer to science and biodiversity through the creative and alternative languages of ever-changing artists. Many exhibitions seek inspiration in the Garden's own Archives and Herbaria, with the aim of creating a plant culture through the dissemination of a scientific didactic heritage as broad as that of the site. Finally, there is the Terraza de los Bonsáis, which houses a collection of bonsai trees donated in 1996 by former Prime Minister Felipe González, consisting of Asian and European species, mainly of Spanish flora, and expanded over time. On the north side is the Graells greenhouse, also known as Estufa de las Palmas, a wrought iron and glass greenhouse, built in 1856 under the direction of Mariano de la Paz Graells, the then director. This room mainly exhibits palm trees, tree ferns and banana specimens of the Musa genus. FEATURED PEONIES BETWEEN LEGEND AND REALITY Peonies, or Paeonia , have always been prized for their beautiful flowers that fill borders in shades of white, pink and red from late spring to mid-summer. Since antiquity, the Peony has been known for its miraculous virtues: its name derives from the Greek paionía, meaning 'healing plant', in reference to its roots with important healing, calming, antispasmodic, sedative and even pain-relieving properties, an etymology it shares not coincidentally with Paeon, Peon, the Greek God of Medicine. A well-known Greek legend has it that it was Zeus who transformed Paeon into a beautiful, immortal flower, to save him from the wrath and envy of the master who had seen himself outwitted in the treatment of Hades. The peony has been competing for millennia with the rose for the title of most beautiful in the kingdom, and in China it is officially the winner with the appellation 'Queen of Flowers'. The story goes that more than 2000 years ago, Empress Wu Tutian, who was very beautiful but also very despotic, ordered all the flowers in her kingdom to bloom one winter morning. Fearing her wrath, the flowers agreed to comply: all except one, the peony. Furious at this proud refusal, the empress gave orders for every specimen to be uprooted and exiled to high, snow-covered mountains. The plant withstood the frost and bloomed magnificently in the spring. At that point, Wu Tutian recognised its strength and revoked its exile, giving it the royal title. The peony referred to in the ancient Chinese legend is the shrub peony, which is very rare in nature, and culturally for the Chinese, rarity coincides with preciousness. This is why a supernatural origin is attributed to it: in the Huashan Mountain Nature Reserve, 'Mountain of Flowers', from hua flower and shan mountain, in the Chinese region of Shaanxi, there are pavilions depicting the birth of the peony as the fruit of the union between a farmer and a goddess who gave him one as a pledge of love, before returning to the heavens. In antiquity, it was the exclusive privilege of the imperial family and the mandarin nobility to be able to cultivate it in their gardens, whereas today its aristocratic beauty is within everyone's reach. In European gardens it arrived in 1789, after a long voyage on an English ship only five plants managed to take root in Kew Garden for the first time that year. Links Moutan Botanical Center GALLERY Info: Official website Photo ©CRISTINA ARCHINTO more botanical gardens and nurseries Orto botanico di Amsterdam Orto botanico di Napoli Orto Botanico di Zurigo e la Serra Malgascia Giardino Botanico Nuova Gussonea Orto Botanico di Catania Orto Botanico di Ginevra Centro Botanico Moutan Orto Botanico di Palermo

SWITZERLAND ZURICH BOTANICAL GARDEN AND THE MADAGASCAR'S GREENHOUSE By CARLA DE AGOSTINI Zurich's botanical areas are divided into two parts: on the one hand, the botanical garden and, on the other, the vast Madagascan greenhouse at the zoo. The former is situated on a hillock not far from the city centre and does not lose its charm even in winter. Established in the 1970s and initially private, the Zurich Botanical Garden is now part of the Department of Natural Sciences at the University of Zurich. The garden has three glasshouses that can be visited in half spheres with different climatic zones: the tropical mountain forest, the tropical dry wind area with a showcase dedicated to carnivorous plants and the tropical lowland rainforest, where the humidity is 90% and the temperature is around 26 °C in both summer and winter. The greenhouses, designed by Hans and Annemarie Hubacher, Peter Issler and Hansulrich Maurer, were completed in 1976 but have been renovated several times in Plexiglas because, over time, they had lost much of their transparency, creating harmful effects on plant growth. The main entrance is from Zollikerstrasse, and as you climb the stairs you can already admire the attention and care characteristic of the Mixed Border: a style developed in England at the end of the 19th century, which allows plants to be enhanced during every season. Annual flowers, perennials and small shrubs are selected so that something is always in bloom. In spring the geophytes stand out, and in winter there are grasses with faded inflorescences, which get covered in frost and are a very special attraction. The aim is a didactic one and the interest is to highlight planting as a harmonious and natural process. At Zurich Zoo , around 4,000 animals of 380 different species, with the oldest inhabitant being a giant Galapagos tortoise over 70 years old, are joined by more than 5.5 hectares of greenery with over a million species of plants from all over the world. The Madagascan greenhouse is 30 metres high and is made of EFTE "bladders" mounted on a metal structure, a material that simulates sunlight, insulates and allows the over 11,000 square metres of surface area to be covered in a light manner. Thanks to these cutting-edge, light-sensitive, highly insulating materials, since June 2003 it has been possible to immerse oneself in a dense tropical forest, populated by more than 20,000 plants and 45 species of tropical vertebrates, including animals left in the wild, such as lemurs. Here you can experience the Masoala forest, with temperatures ranging from 20° to 30° C and its very high humidity, with an average rainfall of 6 mm per day. This tropical rainfall is achieved through an interesting system of reusing rainwater, which allows an equivalent irrigation of 80,000 litres of water per day. The coexistence of fauna and flora is designed to help preserve the biodiversity of Madagascar's ecosystems. Through the Masoala project, the Zurich Zoo has decided to support the Malagasy government in the conservation and protection of one of the world's most endangered areas. Despite the fact that Madagascar represents only 1% of the earth's surface, it is one of the richest areas in terms of biodiversity, home to around 3% of the planet's animal and plant species. Unfortunately, at least 70% of the primary plant cover has been lost. Flora and fauna can also be appreciated from above, where aquatic plants, ferns, lianas, bamboo and animals can be admired. This focus is in line with one of the main tasks assumed by the garden for the 21st century: to promote and strengthen the relationship between vegetation and mankind, seeking to convey and enhance the increasingly evident interconnection between plants, the environment and health. GALLERY Photo ©CRISTINA ARCHINTO Info: Official website more botanical gardens and nurseries Giardino Botanico Nuova Gussonea Orto Botanico di Catania Orto Botanico di Ginevra Centro Botanico Moutan Orto Botanico di Palermo Roseto di Roma Chicago Batanical Garden Parco Botanico Villa Rocca

PALM TREES IN LIGURIA The approximately 2,800 varieties of palm trees that make up the family of the Arecaceae first appeared over 70 million years ago and rapidly spread across all continents. Their preferred habitats are the tropical or subtropical environments, but easily adapt to cooler climates. In Italy the Chamaerops humilis , or dwarf palm, and the rustic Phoenix dactylifera are considered endemic species, spreading rapidly across the Italian seaside towns such as Bordighera, thanks to their innate ability to contrast strong winds and withstand salt and sand. According to legend, Ampelio, the patron saint of Bordighera, was the first to import these precious dates. The craft of weaving palm leaves for religious festivals, along with rituals of fertility and rebirth, links the vast symbolism associated with palm trees and is no stranger to ancestral practices for their domestication aimed at ensuring the bearing of fruits. According to some philologists, the word palm derives from “Pan”. In Sanskrit, it means hand and can also be identified by the typical shape of its leaves. In Latin it became “Palm”, used for both the flat of the hand, and as a unit of measurement. Hence the expressions "palm of victory" or "in the palm of your hand", to indicate the honour paid to the victorious. For others, it originates from the Semitic root “Pal”, thus the toponym Palmyra, the legendary Syrian city and stopping place for caravan trade routes. Likewise it can be an echo of the Phoenician term used by the Ancient Greeks to refer to both the tree and the colour purple, but also to the phoenix bird, rising from its ashes. Lastly, it is associated to the Phoenicians, the people whom the Ancient Egyptians placed along the shores of the Persian Gulf. It is here that we find the oases where the palm trees and dates originated. Palm leaves welcomed the triumphal entrance of Jesus in Jerusalem, symbolizing triumph, justice and peace. In liturgical ceremonies, the palm leaves blend and are replace by olive branches, in a way similar to the customs and traditions of peasant farmers on opposite shores of the Mediterranean Sea, which also merged and hybridized. Alessandra Valentinelli Palm trees in Liguria Photo ©CRISTINA ARCHINTO MORE ENVIRONMENT AND BOTANY Vie cave opuntia fiorita Opuntia Alberi Caño Cristales Palmeti Palmeti Caldara di Manziana Terra scoscesa Tevere

LIGURIA The Magic Flute Park in Santa Margherita Ligure by Carla De Agostini The Magic Flute Park in Santa Margherita Ligure is a playground for children inside Villa Carmagnola. It was conceived and realized in 1998 from the imagination of Emanuele Luzzati, in collaboration with the students of the scenography workshop of the Teatro Della Tosse, on the notes of The Magic Flute, the last theatrical composition by Mozart. The paths, the equipment and the objects allow the children to become part of the adventures of Tamino, the brave and somewhat "harlequin-like" prince, the protagonist of the opera who, helped by the faithful Papageno, fights the forces of evil to free the beloved princess Pamina, daughter of the Queen of the Night in ancient Egypt. On the one hand, the work of the Magic Flute can be retraced on the 23-meter-long surrounding wall, which, with paintings on ceramic tiles, tells the story to everyone. On the other amazing silhouettes and sculptures of the characters, now restored, help the children's creativity to invent their own adventures, jumping from one side to the other, immersed in the green and in their own dreams. Closed for a long time, the Park has reopened in 2021, to the happiness of young and old, thanks to the valuable teamwork between different realities, from the municipal administration to the various local cultural associations and not for years recognize the historical, public and social value. Emanuele Luzzati was born in Genoa in 1921 and died there in 2007. Capable of an essential and never predictable style, Luzzati will speak of himself as a capable craftsman, fascinated by all applied arts that comes to their realization in an eclectic and often self-taught way. In the interviews he will tell with simplicity that his way of understanding the work is a work under the sign of a lightness free from aesthetic codes. She spent her childhood in Genoa, but with the racial laws of 1938 she fled to Switzerland, where she came into contact with a reality that she would define as "truer", that of the Jewish world of Eastern Europe of which she would often remember the fruitful cultural exchange between people of very different origins, and in Lausanne he graduated from the Ecole des Beaux Arts. In his career he has created more than four hundred sets for prose, opera and dance in major Italian and foreign theaters, and has been defined as a painter, decorator, illustrator, set designer, ceramist, costume designer, film director and designer. In 1963 for The Magic Flute Luzzati will have a flash of genius that will revolutionize the concept of set design for opera and will consecrate him to the international world: the periatti, large rotating prisms consisting of painted panels with inside a person who moves them in time to the music, which create a fairy-tale atmosphere with dynamic background. In 1966 with the director Giancarlo Giannini receive the first Oscar nomination for the category of animated short film La Gazza ladra (1964), a second nomination will come with Pulcinella. The municipality of Genoa, with the Accademia Artigiana della Fantasia, celebrates him by opening at Palazzo Ducale Casa Luzzati, a place of exhibitions entirely dedicated to his figure, opening in March 2022 with "Luzzati. Posters and Editorial Graphics 1947 - 2007". In addition, the Lele Luzzati Foundation is born, welcoming the donation of works by the Luzzati Family of Israel. GALLERY Photo ©CRISTINA ARCHINTO LINK S TREE WATCHING Web more gardens and parks Giardino di Valeria Villa Ortensia Etna Botanic garden Parco del Paterno del Toscano Labirinto della Masone Villa d'Este Giardino di Kenroku-en Giardino dell'impossibile

SICILY Victoria amazonica Victoria Marvel of Nature and source of constant discovery. Photographs of Cristina Archinto Text by Cristina Archinto and Carla De Agostini T he Victoria is one of those plants that has always fascinated mankind since its discovery in the western world in the early 1800s; these enormous leaves float despite their size and weight. This is due to a special latticework that traps air in the lower face of the leaf, creating cushions that allow the leaf to support not only its own weight but also that of a child, as evidenced by the first photograph, of a long series, taken in 1932 in Kew Gardens. The photo taken in 1932 in Kew Gardens Victoria is a Nymphaeaceae and it has only recently been discovered that there are not just two but three species; Victoria Amazonica , V. Cruziana and the latest addition the V. Boliviana . At one time it was thought that the latter was just a variety but thanks to the work of Kew Gardens botanist and researcher Carlos Magdalena , it has been discovered that the latter is a true new species. The main differences are a different distribution of spines, seeds and it only lives in the wild in one of the largest wetlands in the world, the Llanos de Moxos in the Beni province of Bolivia. Carlos Magdalena always had the suspicion, so back in 2016 he asked the Botanical Garden of Santa Cruz in Bolivia to send him seeds and after years of studies, comparisons and genetic analysis he came to these conclusions. This discovery was also endorsed by the work of illustrator Lucy Smith , a Kew Gardens collaborator, who was commissioned to make scientific drawings of the alleged new species and then compare them with those in the Kew Gardens archives by artist Walter Hood Fitch , who in 1845 illustrated a specimen whose seed arrived from Bolivia. The whole thing was then revealed to the world with the publication in July this year, 2022, in the Journal Frontiers in Plant Science . A direct comparison like this has never been done before because the specimens come from three different parts of the world and it is very rare to be able to keep the three different Victoria species in the same botanical garden because the space they occupy is so large. Victoria cruziana , Meise Botanical Garden in Belgium The history of the 'discovery' of the Victoria is full of protagonists around the world and began in 1801 when the Bohemian botanist and naturalist Tadeáš Haenke , sent to Bolivia by the Spanish government to study the local flora, is said to have first seen the Victoria on the Mamore' River, one of the tributaries of the Amazon, but unfortunately died without being able to record his discovery. Then it was the turn of Aime Bonpland who saw the plant in Argentina in 1819 and in 1825 sent the seeds and a full description to France. Victoria amazonica in the 'Victoria haus' greenhouse in Berlin In 1832 it was the turn of Eduard Poeppig who found it in the Amazon but assuming that it belonged to the same genus as the Asiatic Euryale ferox gave it the name Euryale amazonica . Alcide d'Orbigny saw the plant at Corrientes in Argentina and the German botanist Robert Schomburgk found Victoria on the Berbice River in British Guiana and sent specimens and figures to Europe in 1836. It was from these specimens that the English botanist and horticulturist John Lindley established the genus Victoria in 1837 and described the species regia in honour of Queen Victoria. Victoria boliviana at Kew Gardens @E. Johnston As far as cultivation was concerned, it was Robert Schomburgk who first attempted to cultivate Victoria , trying to transplant it from lakes and streams in Georgetown, British Guiana, but the plants died. In 1846 it was Thomas Bridges who sent seeds packed in a jar of moist clay to England. Of the 25 received at Kew Gardens, three germinated and grew well as seedlings until winter, when unfortunately they too died. Eventually, after further attempts, it was two English doctors, Rodie and Luckie , who sent seeds in a fresh water bottle to Kew in February 1849. The first plant flowered on 8 November 1849 in a specially constructed greenhouse on the Duke of Devonshire's estate in Chatsworth and it was then that one of the first flowers was cut and given to Queen Victoria. The profile of an Victoria Amazonica At that time the Duke of Devonshire's head gardener was Joseph Paxton and it was the morphology of this unique water lily that inspired him to create the Crystal Palace greenhouse at Kew in London to host the first World's Fair in 1851, made of iron and glass. The idea starts from the strength of the leaf, whose ribs on the lower face, organised like a system of buttresses, can support up to 45 kg of weight when evenly distributed. The rigid radially symmetrical centric leaves covered with strong thorns underneath, so as not to be eaten by fish, are reinforced by several concentric and flexible ribs distributed in opposite directions, a morphological feature that recurs in the construction solution of the Crystal Palace. For this and other achievements, Paxton received a knighthood from His Majesty. Crystal Palace of 1851 made of iron and glass But the fascination of the Victorias does not stop there; their enormous flowers can reach up to 30 cm in diameter, and they only bloom for one day and two nights. On the first evening, at dusk, a large, thorn-covered bud opens and a white flower appears which, thanks to a thermodynamic reaction, raises its internal temperature 11 degrees above the ambient temperature. This released heat and a pineapple-like scent attract beetles, which at dawn, when the flower closes, become trapped in it. But as the Victoria is not a carnivorous plant, they do not die, but rather spend the day there feeding on the starch-rich floral appendages. On the second night the flower changes colour, taking on shades of pink or red, and at dusk releases the insects, which, soaked in pollen, go on to fertilise another flower. At dawn on the second day, the flower withers, closes and dips, and it is there that the fruit ripens. Flowers of a Victoria amazonica and Victoria cruziana In Kew Gardens today, pollination is done manually in the summer and the harvesting of the seeds in the autumn. A constant temperature of 15° prevents seed death or premature germination. Today, a process called nicking the seeds is used to help them germinate earlier, which happens after ten days. The sprouted seeds are initially placed in a small pot in water, and gradually moved to larger pots and finally placed in a large one with clay soil as a substrate. Seedlings need a temperature of no less than around 31° while adult plants grow between 26° and 31°. As the plant needs light, auxiliary horticultural bulbs are used for about 12 hours in winter, which is why in nature the giant water lily dies in autumn due to the lack of light. Euphorbia tirucalli The Victoria in its natural habitat has a very special tenant the Trotter lily or Jacana , a bird with very long legs, fingers and claws that runs from Victoria to Victoria and feeds on the insects on and under the leaves, which it deftly turns over with its, also, long beak. It also nests on the leaf, laying eggs as shiny as the waxy layer that covers it, camouflaging them perfectly. Today, although the plant is not threatened with extinction, ongoing climate change in the Amazon basin and the relentless destruction of the Amazon rainforest may pose a future threat to this wonder of nature, a source of continuous new discoveries. Victoria 'Trickeri' variety of Victoria Cruiziana at the Chicago Botanical Garden GALLERY Photo ©CRISTINA ARCHINTO More botanic gardens and nurseries Papaveri e api Vie cave Alberi Caño Cristales Palmeti Palmeti Caldara di Manziana Terra scoscesa Tevere

BOTANY POPPIES AND BEES Why don't bees pollinate red flowers except poppies? By CARLA DE AGOSTINI T he history of evolution is a history of relationships between species, as well as between species and the environment. When we smell a flower, for example, we actually hear a message addressed to the insects, a call to warn them that there is nectar waiting for them in exchange for transporting pollen. And the same goes for the choice of colours. Flowers as we know them are relatively recent. Angiosperms, i.e. plants that have flowers and fruit from seed, appeared between 135 and 140 million years ago and were not so colourful to begin with: fossils suggest that they were simple, dull-looking structures without much pigment, pale yellow or green at most. Today, with the exception of ferns, conifers, cycads and mosses, the majority of plant communities belong to the Angiosperms. Slowly, with the appearance of flowers, we also see the emergence of today's bright colours, an increasingly sophisticated mechanism to encourage pollination not only by wind or water but also by attracting insects. Many flowers have thus evolved to adapt to the needs and abilities of bees. Bees are responsible for 80% of pollination, without which there would be no apples, blueberries, cherries, avocados, cucumbers, almonds, onions, grapefruits, oranges, pumpkins and more. And it is to attract bees that the bright colour of the petals has become an important adaptation variable. The poppy has developed some of the most fascinating and unexpected strategies because bees don't perceive the bright red colour visible to the human eye but are attracted to the ultraviolet. Humans perceive colour through the pigment of the object and the part of the light it reflects. In bees, on the other hand, the field of vision is a mosaic of cones that enable them to recognise a different range of colours, help the insect to stay balanced during flight and identify each flower around it precisely, even at high speeds. The red hue is not perceptible to the bee's eye, and research has shown that it only distinguishes four colours: yellow (orange, yellowish green), bluish green, blue and ultraviolet. Therefore, flowers that are bright red to our eyes, such as the red violet or Chinese carnations, are not fertilised by bees, but by daytime butterflies. On the other hand, flowers such as heather, rhododendron, cyclamen or clover have a purple hue that bees perceive as a blue colour, or a white colour perceived as bluish green. The poppy, however, is one of the few red flowers that most attracts bees. This is because the pigmented cells in its petals are arranged in such a way as to create air-filled spaces where the light is dispersed, allowing UV rays to be reflected and the ultraviolet range to be perceived by the bee, which then settles on it and fertilises it. And it is from the Sicilian, and in part Sardinian, shovels that the prickly pear arrives and invades Eritrea, planted both by 19th century Italian missionaries and by migrants of the first Italian colonization. Here, the beles, the name in Eritrean, are not only the fruit but also the nickname jokingly given by peers from the Horn of Africa to second-generation Eritreans living in Italy, because they arrive with the same punctuality as the fruit: in the summer rainy season, and then leave again. Today, Opuntia ficus-indica is used for a wide variety of products, both for its high nutritional value, rich in minerals, especially calcium, phosphorus and vitamin C, and for its mucilage, the substance that allows the plant to have water reserves. Thanks to this, the prickly pear has become a major player in eco-sustainable innovations. For example, a Mexican professor of chemical engineering, Sandra Pascoe Ortiz, has patented a plastic and biodegradable material: by mixing prickly pear juice with glycerin, proteins and natural waxes, she has obtained a liquid which, after being laminated and dried, becomes a completely non-toxic, biodegradable and edible bioplastic. In Italy, too, alternative uses of prickly pears are proliferating. For example, a glue for fresco restoration work has been experimented with using mucilage, and a textile industry has obtained cruelty-free eco-leather from its waste. But that's not all, there are also sunglasses made from their fibers, furniture and sculptural lamps made from the waste from shovels that are entirely biodegradable at the end of their life! GALLERY Photo ©CRISTINA ARCHINTO MORE ENVIRONMENT AND BOTANY Vie cave opuntia fiorita Opuntia Tree Caño Cristales Palmeti Palm trees Caldara di Manziana Steep land Tiber

GENEVA THE PACE GARDEN Photo © CRISTINA ARCHINTO S trolling around Geneva, in the Petit Saconnex area, you may come across the Jardin de la Paix a small garden but definitely living up to its name. Opened to the public in 2003, it is dedicated to the victims of the attack in August of that year that shook the UN in Baghdad, including Sergio Vieira de Mello, a Brazilian UN international official. In the centre is a small lawn and bordered on both the north and south sides by neat flowerbeds with different varieties of flowers such as Kniphofia, Hemerocallis, Crocosmias, Rudbeckia, Impatiens , roses and graminaceous plants. To the east side, on the other hand, there is a vine pergola reminiscent of the awnings of yesteryear and housing a few benches that allow one to take advantage of the coolness, especially in this season. On the opposite side one can enjoy a small stretch of water, often frequented by frogs, fish and herons and covered with water lilies. The reflections in the water, the little bridge and the flora are as impressionist-inspired as the colours of the various flowers, which fade from cooler near the water area to warmer as you approach the sunny walls opposite. The small greenhouse is pretty, with some succulent plants at the entrance and more tropical plants in the central part. Needless to say, the garden is well maintained and is a little gem where calm and beauty reign. Photo ©CRISTINA ARCHINTO Other GARDENS and PARKS Villa Pergola Villa Pergola Villa Melzi Villa Melzi Parco Sigurtà Parco Sigurtà Parco Flauto Magico Parco Flauto Magico Villa Lante Villa Lante Bomarzo Parco Villa la Grange Labirinto della Masone

Shop on line Libreria Oolp Terrimago edition BOOK ON SALE EUROPEAN BOTANICAL GARDEN A Journey through History, Science and Nature by Cristina Archinto Born from the modern need to classify, to understand and expand the knowledge of nature, the first botanical gardens were cultivated by Italian universities: first came Padua in 1545, then Florence, Pisa and Bologna followed suit in 1568 with a prime interest to study and the growth of medicinal plants. With the discovery of the New World, these botanical gardens became half “Horto dei semplici” and half “wonders of the world” gardens; places where one could observe, study and acclimatize all the new species that had been collected and discovered. Since the 1600s all the Royal Houses sought the prestige of having their own private collections, and whilst on the streets of London, Paris or Madrid, botanists and explorers converged and conversed, it was Amsterdam that in 1638 sealed the deal of “The Golden Age” trading with the most distant lands of the Far East. From that moment on, all the botanical gardens were enriched with marvellous greenhouses, particular water gardens and hanging terraces. Now monumental historical plants celebrate together the journey of past discoveries, and of modern scientific speculations in magnificent sites. If today Kew Gardens concentrates the largest collection, with 95% of known Genera, each botanical garden has its masterpieces, and works towards the conservation of our botanical heritage: seeds or specimens, that allow one to experiment with the most diverse latitudes, with specific temperature and light conditions, and also to examine the characteristic flowering and resting periods, and to protect rare or endangered species, which is of fundamental interest for biodiversity. This book is a visual and inspirational journey through the most relevant and fascinating Botanical Gardens in Europe. Each chapter will include a short introduction and the many photographs will guide the reader where botanical beauty intertwines with history and science to create magical and enchanting places. ​ INTRODUCTION Anyone venturing into a botanical garden is amazed by the countless colours, scents, shapes and forms of the plant kingdom. This book tells the story of a passion that drove men towards uncharted lands, exploring the frontiers of knowledge. It tells of how science was developed by understanding the laws of nature, and the methods used to share its discoveries. Cristina Archinto, through her work as a photographer, takes us on a journey through different European Gardens in search of the deep bond that unites people to Earth, and makes the environment a heritage to be preserved and looked after. How were vegetable gardens born? Who were the real protagonists? And what events marked their progress? Renaissance herbalists, who were also known as the "Semplici" collected medicinal herbs. Explorers hunted for plants in the New World and enlightened naturalists studied herbs in the surrounding meadows. Botany has seen many alternating schools of thought and clashing rivalries. And yet, botanical gardens were the keepers of a knowledge that broadened horizons and promoted free exchange; enriched by contributions from vast communities in which we are now able to investigate the ecosystems. It is because of the Gardens, that we have the tools to reproduce and preserve, the methods to classify, compare and disseminate knowledge. These gardens built structures to house exotic species, and devised biotopes to protect endemic and threatened species. ​ Table of contents Introduction The Botanical Garden of Padua - Gardens: The Beginning Hortus Botanicus of Amsterdam - The Golden Age of Exotic Species Jardin des Plantes - The Botanical Revolution Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid - Discovering the New World Botanical Gardens of Rome - The Beauty of a Spontaneous Flora Kew Gardens - The Masterpiece of English Greenhouses Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin - The Legacy of Linnaeus The Hanbury Gardens - The Grand Tour Gardens Brussels - Meise Botanic Garden - Vegetable Gardens and Nurseries Botanical Garden of Dublin - The Green Road, Nature Between Past and Future ​ Title: EUROPEA BOTANICAL GARDENS A Journey through History, Science and Nature Autor: Cristina Archinto Text: Alessandra Valentinelli Photographs: Cristina Archinto Transalation: Stefania Bellingardi Beale Text: Italian and English Size 24 x 23 cm 110 photographs 144 pages Soft cover Cost 26.00€ Isbn: 979-12-200-6912-0 ​ ​ Shop on line: Libreria Oolp Terrimago edition ​ REVIEWS Giardini in viaggio Viride blog

LAZIO Bomarzo By LIVIA DANESE The Sacred Grove of Bomarzo is notoriously enigmatic and fascinating. Conceived by Prince Pier Francesco Orsini, it was inaugurated in 1547 and dedicated to his wife Giulia Farnese. Abandoning all prejudices and convictions at the door, one is transported into a surreal context that combines esotericism and mythology with the placidity and beauty of Viterbo’s countryside. The garden, also known as "Parco dei Mostri" (Monster Park), basks in its fame as a hermetic and mysterious place but represents more than just an expression of the Mannerist style’s taste for eccentricities. Nature is not accessory to the artistic caprices. On the contrary it produces the sensations of estrangement, alienation and fascination aroused by the park. The statues, the fountains and the architectures, all of which were sculpted directly in situ, seem to emerge from a natural environment that accentuates their ambiguity. The artworks therefore not only coexist with the ecosystem but also interact with it: a giant turtle that has to defend the female figure on its back, seems to takes advantage of the dense vegetation to hide and approach a whale immersed in the stream. Visitors are invited by the sphinxes at the entrance to concentrate on the wonders of the place, suggesting that the senses, as well as the mind, will guide the way. Perhaps the phrase "every thought flies" on the Orc’s anthropomorphic head represents an invitation to abandon total rationality? Enigmatic inscriptions and riddles, apparently overabundant nature, everything seems to be designed to make one lose balance, as the leaning house perfectly demonstrates. At the same time the park is scattered with reassuring symbols, such as the statue of the Ceres, maternal goddess of fertility, and the dancing nymphs. Today the itinerary through the park is different from the one designed by prince Orsini because of several changes that occurred in time. This makes the interpretation of the symbols along the route even more challenging. However, the encouragement to contemplation is very clear; now all that remains is to immerse oneself in this intricate garden, composed of verdant nature, petrified follies and sibylline verses, absorbing its charm, the mysteries and the enchantment. GALLERY Photo ©CRISTINA ARCHINTO Info: Official website Highlights Male fern - Dryopteris filix-mas Ferns are the oldest plants on our planet and are estimated to have been present for 350 million years. Its scientific name Dryopteris derives from drys oak and pteris fern, as it is very common in shady chestnut and oak forests. Ferns have always been used as dyes because of their tannin content, and were also used to make mattresses and pillows, and their good smell kept fleas away. Ferns are also the subject of many legends and myths throughout Europe, one of which tells us that on the night of 23-24 June, the feast of St John the Baptist, the fern produces a snow-white flower that has the power to make you invisible, like its seeds. Even Shakespeare was aware of this and quotes it in his Henry IV: 'We steal as if we were in an iron barrel, perfectly safe, we have the recipe for fern seeds, we walk invisible'. more gardens and parks Parco del Paterno del Toscano Villa Lante Labirinto della Masone Villa d'Este Giardino di Kenroku-en Giardino dell'impossibile Giardino di Ninfa Villa Pizzo