Palermo's Botanical Garden and Manifesta 12's Planetary Garden Theme

Manifesta 12, the European Nomadic Biennial, took place in Palermo in 2018 under the theme 'Il Giardino Planetario. Coltivare la coesistenza' (The Planetary Garden. Cultivating Coexistence). The article explores Palermo as a Mediterranean city of water and hospitality, where natural migrations of birds, marine animals, insects, and plants cross borders without permits. It describes the 'macchia mediterranea' vegetation typical of the region, including oleaster, lentisk, dwarf palm, holm oak, strawberry tree, myrtle, rosemary, lavender, and butcher's broom. Palermo's most typical plants are citrus fruits like lemons, oranges, mandarins, and bergamots. A Mediterranean garden should be welcoming, with a fountain, terracotta pots, and shade trees such as mulberry, carob, or pomegranate. The article references historian Fernand Braudel's view of the Mediterranean as a unified climatic and vegetal zone from Cadiz to Beirut, Provence to Crimea, Jerusalem to Sicily. Gilles Clément is quoted: 'Plants travel, they are nomadic. Herbs, especially. They move in silence, like the winds.' Visitors could join guided tours with 'Giardinieri di Manifesta 12' to explore the city and discuss the garden concept. The article is authored by Claudia Zanfi, a cultural promoter who founded the GREEN ISLAND program in 2001 for public space and urban ecologies.