The historic Villa dei Cedri garden is far more than a passive expanse of greenery in front of the museum or a setting that has come about by chance. Here we can experience the transformations of nature, colours, shapes and the scents of plants. An invitation to linger, to chat over a cup of coffee or an ice cream at the café tables near the museum entrance or on a picnic, to read on a bench by the wayside or admire sculptures and art installations. This urban oasis makes a major contribution to our citizens’ and visitors’ wellbeing.
Treccani, the leading Italian encyclopaedia, in fact defines a “garden” as a place to be shared, and one which is not confined to growing plants: “A plot of land, generally surrounded by a wall, fence or railings, where ornamental and flowering plants are grown, destined for recreational activities and walks; it may be private, adjoining a villa or dwelling, or else public, within or on the edge of a residential centre (…). public garden (often in the plural public gardens), an extensive green space, with pathways, many varieties of trees and plants, benches, children’s games, often enhanced by monuments or statues, created within or on the edge of a city for the rest and leisure of its citizens.”
The Villa dei Cedri Museum Garden complements and forms an integral part of the experience enjoyed by visitors within the exhibition spaces at the villa. It is a storehouse of memory, but one which, at the same time, is constantly undergoing transformation. It is a place that challenges uniformity and predictability, a social venue and also a protected historical and physical space. The long history of the Villa dei Cedri and its garden (from around 1860 to the present day) “is in many ways typical of the European approach to nature, gardens, plants, architecture and art. It is unique in terms of the specific heritage of the edifices and architecture, territory and plants that are its bond with Switzerland and the world. The management of this heritage plays a fundamental role in meeting the challenges of a sustainable society” (Monica Ursina Jäger, Regula Treichler, Nils Honetschläger, ZHAW Research Project – Life Sciences and Facility Management, IUNR Institute for the Environment and Natural Resources, 2022).
