Landscape architect Monica Botta details therapeutic garden design principles and Italian projects
Monica Botta, a landscape architect specializing in therapeutic gardens, elaborates on their design principles and noteworthy examples from Italy. According to the American Horticultural Therapy Association, these gardens are intended to promote well-being within socio-sanitary environments. Botta, alongside Stefano Capolongo, co-leads the Therapeutic Landscape Design course at Politecnico di Milano. She emphasizes a design guideline by Clare Cooper Marcus that prioritizes safety, privacy, and a connection to nature. Significant projects include the Giardino della Felicità in Ferrara, which opened in 2017, and the Giardino Ritrovato for Alzheimer’s patients in Mongrando, inaugurated in 2024. Despite increasing interest, many healthcare gardens face challenges in planning and management. A 2018 survey revealed only 46 healing gardens among 850 Italian healthcare facilities.
Key facts
- Monica Botta is an internationally known landscape architect specializing in therapeutic gardens.
- She co-directs the Therapeutic Landscape Design course at Politecnico di Milano with Stefano Capolongo.
- The Giardino della Felicità in Ferrara, inaugurated in 2017, received a 2018 Special Mention at the Premio Città per il Verde.
- The Giardino Ritrovato in Mongrando, Biella, was inaugurated in 2024 and includes sensory paths and pet-therapy areas.
- A 2018 census found only 46 healing gardens in approximately 850 Italian hospitals and healthcare facilities.
- Clare Cooper Marcus established key design principles for therapeutic gardens, including safety, privacy, and accessibility.
- Therapeutic gardens can positively influence conditions like depression, diabetes, attention disorders, and cardiovascular diseases.
- Botta's design approach emphasizes human qualities like empathy, solidarity, and curiosity alongside technical expertise.
Entities
Artists
- Monica Botta
- Giulio Senes
- Clare Cooper Marcus
- Stefano Capolongo
- Simonetta Sandri
Institutions
- American Horticultural Therapy Association
- Politecnico di Milano
- University of Milan
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Ambientali della Statale di Milano
- Hospice Residence Service di Ferrara
- Fondazione Cerino Zegna
- Fondazione Ospedale Alba-Bra
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health
- Artribune
Locations
- Milan
- Italy
- Ferrara
- Mongrando
- Biella
- Vico d'Elsa
- Firenze
- Rubano
- Padova
- Verduno
- Alba
- Bra
- Bellinzago Novarese
- Varese
- Japan
- United Kingdom