The Emotional Garden
What is an Emotional Garden?
Surrounding La Gualda Vecchia for an area of about 8 thousand square meters is the Emotional Garden of the Feather Trails - between Simplicity and Beauty. The idea is to create a place to get lost in, between dynamic linearity and winding paths, in an extraordinary, timeless dimension. A dimension governed by the perfect karstic union between Love and Harmony. The Emotional Garden of the Feather Trails consists of: labyrinthine flower beds, sinuous lines of the amphitheater, realm of fire, ornamental garden which, through a fern path, leads to the water square, up to the parterre.
The Emotional Garden is a garden concept conceived after several years of study by arch. Caterina Angela Contu. A place that reveals ancient symbolism and energy centres, created through geometries and evocative settings represented by the fundamental elements of nature: water, earth, fire and air.
Labyrinthine beds of grasses
One does not get lost in the labyrinth,
in the labyrinth one finds oneself,
in the labyrinth one does not meet the Minotaur.
In the labyrinth one encounters oneself.
Hermann Kern
The labyrinthine beds located at the entrance are not a real labyrinth but their arrangement reclaims the 7 lines as 7 were the coils of which the ancient labyrinths were composed. The soaring grasses, in full bloom and moved by the gentle breeze, create impressionistic shades, in which sculptural totems made through the recovery of ancient farmhouse doors are immersed. The soaring grasses are plants we find throughout the garden, and it is they who give the garden its name "Feather Paths."
The three doors, which have three different orientations, represent the different directions, dimensions where to find the right path in life, through the light of reason and the feeling of pure love. Their red color recalls Ariadne's red thread through which Theseus manages to get out of the labyrinth.
The amphitheatre
Returning to the labyrinthine beds, one can walk along the opposite slope, crossing a small grove of calla lilies and digitalis purpuree. Here we find a small outdoor living room where an ancient chandelier, together with the presence of a hybrid oak with a cork tree, create with the iron tables a very suggestive atmosphere. From here the view opens onto theAmphitheatre.
The sinuous lines of the cavea are shaped along a declivity, and in front of them the stage area opens up. These forms have been shaped by recovering the identity aspect of the slope through corten profiles.
The backdrop of the scene here is formed by aerial blooms of grasses, where representations of art come to life, celebrating human whimsy and creativity.
The top of the cavea is enclosed by a rocky profile of monoliths recovered from the site to represent its identity value. On top of the monoliths are flowerbeds where Japanese cherry trees and striking spring blooms find a home.
Realm of Fire
The Realm of Fire represents the central hearth of conviviality, of family togetherness.
This area features a large circular brazier, placed right in the center of the small plaza so as to include all diners in the moment of sharing, and plant species with reddish hues that surround this area celebrating the element of fire.
In the Realm of Fire there are also two terraces, one grassy with beds of white gravel and one bordered by sedum baulatures and whose walkway consists of black pebbles. Here large red bamboo canes are placed in a more or less aligned fashion, representing mute witnesses accompanying in this walkway. Where, on the other hand, the canes are present in the number of 3, they are placed perfectly at the vertices of an equilateral triangle, with the vertex oriented north or south, depending on whether they represent the Masculine or Feminine principle. This new part of the Garden has been enriched with the element of sound, which can be perceived with the wind breeze. We also find in these two terraces 3 different species of maples, which will lose their leaves in the cold months, creating unique color contrasts along the paths of this setting. To top it off, the entire slope behind these two terraces is carpeted with Epimedium Warleyense 'Ellen Willmott'.
Parterre
Either through the Realm of Fire or from the Water Square, one can reach the Parterre.
This place represents arrival, contemplation and a time of rest in which to rediscover an inner peace and feel completely in tune with the surrounding nature.
In ancient times this was the threshing floor, where farmers threshed grain.
From here the view sweeps over the entire Val di Cornia, from the Colline Metallifere to the peaks of Elba Island.
The Water Square and the Fern Path
From the vegetable garden we reach through a winding path of ferns, hoste and calle the Water Square. This place was created for the complete physical and mental regeneration of the guests of Gualda Vecchia. An open-air spa with heated whirlpool tub and barrel sauna, both of which look out over the valley, completely immersed in nature, where man can reconnect to his most authentic dimension. Here, the water element, a symbol of purity, is celebrated by the species included, among papyrus and bamboo. During the warm months, the sense of smell is inebriated by the sweet scent of the lippia, a flowering meadow chosen for its limited water requirements. The lippia also gives a unique spectacle on full moon nights: the white flowers reflect the moonlight and it feels like the starry sky is even at our feet.
In addition to the symbolism of water we find ancient geometries capable of creating an extraordinary energy center. The showers are cleverly positioned cylinders that are vertices of a perfect, imaginary, equilateral triangle and represent the element of air.
The Water Square is a place to enter into close connection with the landscape that opens onto the Val di Cornia.
Ornamental Garden
Theornamental vegetables garden develops on terraces along the natural declivity and has been built through local stone beds that accommodate fruits and vegetables, as well as edible, melliferous flowers and ancient and medicinal roses, among flowering pergolas.
The ornamental garden is a harmonious fusion of "Potager" in the French style, "Hortus Conclusus" and creativity, and represents the place where the human hand, through nature, creates its fruits.
A place to discover authentic flavours and scents, moments of tasting and relaxation.
Il Sentiero Emozionale nel Bosco
Il Sentiero Emozionale nel Bosco, inaugurato a giugno del 2024, si snoda nel giovane querceto, ancora ricco di macchia, sottobosco e meravigliose sughere, aprendosi ogni tanto in vere e proprie “piazze artistiche”, aree dove sono abbiamo allestito delle opere realizzate con radici di alberi e diverse forme geometriche per incentivare un aspetto ludico che porti a riconnettersi alla natura, al proprio io.
Un luogo magico, costruito con il prezioso contributo dell’architetta Caterina Angela Contu, che si snoda tra i boschi. Un percorso che invita alla scoperta e all’introspezione, arricchito da piazze che celebrano l’arte in tutte le sue forme:
opere create dalla natura stessa e installazioni artistiche realizzate dall’uomo. Ogni elemento, dagli alberi ai muschi, dai licheni alle foglie, diventa una chiave di lettura, uno stimolo che invita chi percorre il sentiero a lasciarsi avvolgere dalla natura. A creare una connessione profonda e autentica con l’ambiente circostante.
In questi spazi troverete anche AGaia, un’installazione artistica costruita in ferro dall’artista Irma Paulon che invita proprio lo spettatore a espandere visione e coscienza con la Madre Terra. Un colino, un setaccio ed una lancia ci ricordano di dividere il bene dal male, per Sublimare essenza ed essenzialità a Madre Terra.
“All’interno di questo nuovo sentiero – spiega la padrona di casa Bruna Carvalho – ci piacerebbe attrarre e ispirare anche altri artisti e studenti d’arte. Il nostro obiettivo è proprio quello di creare uno spazio aperto dove l’arte dialoga con la natura ma anche con il selvatico: le opere che verranno realizzate con elementi naturali muteranno nel tempo”. E ancora: “Lavorare con Irma Paulon è stata una scelta deliberata, radicata nella mia costante ricerca della bellezza. Bellezza, come la intendeva Sant’Agostino: grazia, equilibrio e armonia nel senso più ampio. Quel tipo di bellezza che può salvare il mondo, quella che si trova intrinsecamente nella natura stessa.
Book a guided tour
The visit to the Emotional Garden lasts about 2 hours. It starts with a 45-minute tour with the owner, followed by a small welcome at the house. After that, you can visit the shop/laboratory and then enjoy the garden for an hour in intimacy. The ticket price per person is €15 - minimum 8 people or €120. Reservation is mandatory. For private tours, you can inquire directly via the form about the conditions and availability.
Realisation
The Emotional Garden was created by Vivaio Pitorsino. It was 1956 when the three Nannini brothers, Mario, Francesco and Rotilio left their hometown in the province of Arezzo to land in the Maremma in search of new job opportunities. It was in the locality of "Il Pitorsino" (GR), full of hope and with a spirit of initiative and resourcefulness, that they started Vivaio Nannini. Running the company today are Giorgio and Fabrizio, Rotilio Nannini's sons: two people we trusted and who in return gave us professionalism, flexibility and complete support.