The Garden of Angels

We will remember these last years as they became suspended in time. Personally, I will also remember this particular period because we, at the Istituto F. Cavazza, developed a project for a place to which we dedicated special attention: the Garden of Angels. The garden is not a natural place, it is not a space where mineral, vegetable and animal elements grow freely. The garden is a place that is foremost cared for, in the sense of having been created, desired and under constant care so that it always flourishes. The garden has selected plants, cared for in their growth, and is developed around an idea, carrying out a theme. The Garden of Angels was created by Antonella and Valerio in Castello, as Castel San Pietro is called by its inhabitants.

They created it with the help of “wonderful friends” after the loss of their daughter Sara who left them at only 14 years old due to an illness. The word care thus takes on further meanings: care for plants but also care for the issue of rare diseases. It has become the place where care is taken for other boys, girls, sons and daughters who have had their lives cut short prematurely by these illnesses. The project we have developed aims to make this garden, which was already created under the sign of inclusion and accessibility for persons with disabilities. 

The project, which is also supported by FAI – Fondo Ambiente Italiano and Banca Intesa San Paolo – consists of the creation of elements that allow one to enter inside the story that unfolds in the garden and to understand the value in caring. The garden is a small world containing the wonders seen through the eyes of Sara, the daughter. A view made up of many senses and sensitivities, not just sight. For this reason, we did not just design a tactile map for the garden, but used digital technologies for independent visits to understand the story it contains. Tactile maps, APPs, beacon technology, qr-codes complement the great underlying theme of the garden: exploring the garden’s nature to rediscover our awareness of our surroundings, to that sense of wonder that is contained in all life.

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