Museo Novecento is pleased to announce the opening of the Giardino delle Leopoldine, a project promoted by the Museo Novecento aimed at redeveloping the building’s cloister through a collaboration with the environmental organization Re:wild and the artist and land conservator Haley Mellin. This is a next-generation garden, the first of its kind within a museum institution and, in particular, within a Renaissance cloister.
The initiative aims to transform the green area into an oasis of regeneration in the heart of the museum, restoring the space’s original function, once cultivated and enjoyed as a garden. The various shrubs and trees, around 20 different species, have been selected for their native character or for their strong naturalistic and cultural connection to Tuscany. This project responds to the environmental and social urgencies of our time, where ecology and respect for nature and its evolutionary processes are becoming an integral part of contemporary creative and museum practices.
“It’s a beautiful project that fits into a broader path we’ve started in the city to make it increasingly green, resilient, and sustainable,” said Deputy Mayor Paola Galgani and Culture Councillor Giovanni Bettarini. “It’s a museum courtyard in the historic center that is being ‘re-naturalized’ exactly as envisaged by the Green Plan we approved as a Municipality. Bringing trees, plants, and abundant greenery into a museum like this means realizing this project by intertwining environmental and artistic aspects. When we think about how we want to develop Florence, we combine precisely these two elements—sustainability and contemporary art—which we are implementing today at Museo Novecento.”
“The Giardino delle Leopoldine, created in collaboration with artist Haley Mellin and the non-profit organization Re:wild, is a response to the times we live in, where current attention to the planet is still not enough to accelerate change and greater care for the environment,” said Sergio Risaliti, director of Museo Novecento. “With this garden, Museo Novecento aims to raise public awareness of the ecological emergency, climate change, and carbon emissions connected also to the life and activities of the museum. We want the Giardino delle Leopoldine to be open to everyone as a place of contemplation and rest, where one can read a book and start new conversations—a place to think about the present and future and to rethink the past. In recent weeks, the garden has begun to take shape, adapting to the environment and hostile conditions, from the scorching summer heat to the torrential rains of recent days. Nature shows its power of adaptation and claims its space beyond our predictions and intentions. This is exactly what we want: to accept the unforeseen events of the natural cycle. This garden will be one of the most important permanent works in the museum’s collection. We must take care of this garden just as the garden will take care of us.”
“This inaugural Re:wild the Museum collaboration with Museo Novecento demonstrates that nature, in its essence, is fundamental to our creativity. Bringing native species back into artistic spaces is an important step in revitalizing the cities and towns where most of us live,” said Dr. Wes Sechrest, co-founder and CEO of Re:wild.
Works in May
“As an artist who studied in Florence, supporting the creation of this native garden has been a joy. The team at Museo Novecento, landscape architect Matilde Doriano, and our many consultants and mentors on this project have worked together in natural collaboration,” said Haley Mellin, artist and founder of Art into Acres.
“Creating a garden today is a radical and countercultural act: it requires financial resources, constant care, and, above all, time. We cannot accelerate the rhythms of nature—it will follow its own course, in its own time. Thanks to Haley’s artistry, the support of Re:wild, and the vision of Sergio Risaliti, this magic has become possible. A tangible gesture, a precious gift for future generations,” said architect Matilde D’Oriano.
“Born at the heart of an ancient building dedicated, since its foundation, to the care of body and soul,” said Stefania Rispoli, curator of Museo Novecento, “the Giardino delle Leopoldine reminds us of how much nature is a heritage to be respected, observed, protected, and nurtured. Being able to enter the museum every day and enjoy the presence of greenery, these trees and plants with their infinite variations of shapes and colors, is a gift for all who live in or pass through this place daily, and a legacy for future generations. Each species has been selected for its connection to Tuscany and carries a history—both natural and cultural, and very ancient. In recent months, a community of botanists, horticultural experts, scholars, enthusiasts, and citizens, young and old, has been growing around this project, and we hope it will continue to grow over time, nourished by the care and enhancement of this place.”
Garden in June
