Il camelieto

In 2019, a novelty was added to contribute to the park’s new life: the project “Invitation to the Park. The Camellia Garden” prompted an extensive planting endeavour during which more than 130 ancient camellia cultivars were planted, adding to the fully-grown plants historically present in the Castle’s Park. Extracted from a neglected environment, these cultivars were transplanted in the protected environment of Miradolo in 2020 and 2021, and were subjected to extensive observation and mapping activities that were performed with the collaboration of the Italian Camellia Society and the University of Turin – Department of Agricultural, Forestry and Food Sciences. From 2022 onwards, the value of the young camellia plants will be increasingly enhanced thanks to various activities aimed at disseminating the results of these studies, which also include the publication of this guide.

Like all things of nature, the small, young camellia shrubs give us insight into the future. In more than one hundred years’ time, when they will be at their best, they will reach the size of their parent plants and brighten the Castle with tall, delicate patches of colour. All identified specimens are accompanied in the Park by botanical tags. Updated seasonal maps are available, also in a Braille edition and in a QR code version for people with visual and hearing impairments. The materials are available in Italian and English.

The work put into safeguarding, studying and mapping the young camellia cultivars enrich our territory, both for the general public, enthusiasts and the scientific community. The botanical files relating to each specimen are available in digital format and can be viewed by all those who wish to access them, through the Cosso Foundation website (fondazionecosso.it).

The educational project Da un metro in giù (From one metre down) has also been adapted for the Park. Our younger visitors receive a rucksack that reveals an “explorer’s kit”, with everything they might need on their “journey”, to play. A playbook allows them to broaden the experience of the visit to include the four seasons and also to continue its discovery at home.

Each year, when spring arrives, the Cosso Foundation will promote these plants, that are a symbol of strength and elegance, with themed events, including meetings, educational workshops, tea tastings, unique opportunities for in-depth study and the promotion of the botanical and landscape culture.