Italian Gardens Win Spotlight at Loire Castle's 2025 Festival des Jardins

The Festival des Jardins at Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire, France, will take place from April until November 2, 2025, themed "C'era una volta in giardino" (Once Upon a Time in the Garden). Drawing inspiration from fairy tales, including those from One Thousand and One Nights, Andersen, and Perrault, the festival showcases 25 temporary gardens chosen through an international competition. Italy contributes two entries: "Giardino dei riflessi" by Verdintrecci (Antonella Caramanica, Sara Lamon, Marco Fosella), which utilizes mirrors to reflect Calvino's invisible poetics, and "Fantastico Pinocchio" by Vivai Priola, landscape architect Valeria Filosa, and agronomist Mauro Riello, featuring a Pinocchio theme. Participants hail from India, Iran, Brazil, China, and France. Since its inception in 1992, the festival has presented over 900 gardens and draws more than 500,000 visitors each year. Noteworthy past contributors include Cassian Schmidt, Bas Smets, Bernard Lassus, and others. Permanent installations feature Vallon des Brumes, a wildflower trail, contemporary environmental art gardens, and a historic park established in 1880 by Henri Duchêne, which includes a Dog Cemetery.