FAI's 'Three Days for the Garden' Showcases Rare Botanicals and Craft at Castello di Masino

The Fondo Ambiente Italiano (FAI) presents the 32nd edition of 'Tre giorni per il giardino' at Castello di Masino in Caravino, Turin province, running until May 5, 2024. This botanical research event features leading Italian nurseries with rare selections, including ancient fruit trees, dozens of rose species, hydrangeas, ferns, pollinator-friendly carnations, seeds, and unique vegetables like the world's only ancient purple asparagus from Albenga. Artisans also display artistic artifacts crafted from natural materials such as willow weavings, hemp textiles, and wooden objects. The 2024 theme, 'The Possible Garden: Seeds for the Garden and the World of Tomorrow,' focuses on ecosystems and wild nature, expanded with talks on biodiversity and climate change. Visitors can explore the recently FAI-restored castle, admiring Renaissance frescoes, original furnishings, and courtyards with panoramic views. The castle, originally built as a fortress in 1070, underwent a major transformation around the mid-1500s when it was elevated on a hill, offering 360-degree vistas of the Alps, Lake Viverone, and surrounding fields and woods. Its magnificent gardens were redesigned, featuring French-style parterre beds, one of Italy's largest preserved vegetative labyrinths, rare citrus plants in terracotta pots, and an extensive English-style park below. The event occurs annually in spring and autumn, offering seasonal plants and vegetables.