Therapeutic Garden Days: at the Garden of Pojega, a dialogue between nature, care, and community

The Garden of Pojega hosted the 2026 edition of the Therapeutic Garden Days, a project born from the collaboration between the Garden of Pojega at Villa Rizzardi, the IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria, and the Municipality of Negrar di Valpolicella. This year’s theme focused on aphasia and the relationship between care, connection, and beauty, at the heart of two days that brought experiences, testimonies, and community activities into the historic garden.

The initiative brought together patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals, associations, and visitors in a journey centred on the value of listening and participation, transforming the garden’s spaces into places of encounter and exchange.

“The Limit as Threshold”: the opening conference

At the heart of the event was the conference “The Limit as Threshold”, organised together with the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation team of IRCCS Sacro Cuore, coordinated by Dr Elena Rossato. The meeting focused on narrative medicine, exploring the theme of limitation through personal stories, rehabilitation experiences, and testimonies connected to the journeys of people living with aphasia.

The speech by His Excellency Monsignor Domenico Pompili, Bishop of Verona, further enriched the reflection by presenting limitation as an opportunity for change and awareness. Referring to the symbolic meaning of the threshold, Monsignor Pompili highlighted the importance of relationships, reciprocity, and human depth in a society increasingly driven by speed and performance.

The testimonies shared by the aphasic patients in attendance made the experience even more profound, conveying to the audience the true meaning of the initiative: recognising fragility as a possible space for connection and renewal.

Experiential activities among the spaces of the historic garden

Throughout Saturday, the Garden of Pojega became the setting for creative workshops and activities spread across the Circular Temple, the Green Theatre, the Secret Garden, and the Lemon Houses. Painting, performance poetry, inclusive dance, sensory experiences, and artistic workshops engaged participants and visitors in a shared experience where the historic landscape entered into dialogue with personal wellbeing.

Among the event’s symbolic moments was the launch of a collective mural coordinated by occupational therapist Marta Sorokin, with the participation of Monsignor Pompili, Father Miguel Tofful, Agostino Rizzardi, and the Mayor of Negrar, Fausto Rossignoli. The artwork will become part of the spaces of the IRCCS Rehabilitation Medicine Centre.

Wellbeing, silence, and connection with nature

The concluding day, curated by the Associazione Acero di Daphne, offered a programme dedicated to holistic practices and the relationship between people and the environment. Aromatherapy, Reiki, music therapy, herbal medicine, therapeutic writing, and caring massage guided visitors through the more secluded corners of the garden, from the Belvedere to the Cypress Walk.

Within this setting, the historic garden became a space of quiet and listening, where contact with nature, the slow rhythm of the landscape, and the shared dimension of the experience played a central role in the wellbeing journey offered throughout the two-day event.

The strong public participation confirmed the value of a project that places people and the relational power of beauty at its centre. Part of the proceeds will be donated to AITA Veneto – Associazione Italiana Afasici, supporting activities dedicated to aphasic patients and their families.

The Therapeutic Garden Days thus reaffirm the Garden of Pojega’s commitment to becoming an increasingly open space for the community, where historical heritage, nature, and human connection can give rise to new forms of listening, participation, and care.