Interno Verde – External Green Path

A festival to discover hidden gardens

Interno Verde is a widespread festival created in 2016 by the association Ilturco and curated by the cooperative Interno Verde, which every spring exceptionally opens to the public dozens of private gardens and secret courtyards hidden behind the facades of Piacenza's historic buildings. The initiative, which began in Ferrara and was later extended to other cities in Emilia-Romagna and Veneto, offers a weekend in Piacenza where over thirty noble courtyards, urban gardens, and small floral oases become accessible to residents and visitors.

Esterno Verde: from the city to the territory

Among the most evocative offerings is Esterno Verde, the route that goes from the city center beyond the walls to explore the historical, architectural, and botanical heritage of the province's villages, reaching the Municipality of San Giorgio Piacentino. Here, the itinerary touches places normally closed to the public, where art intertwines with nature and the history of the ancient families of the Piacenza area.

The Rocca di San Giorgio and the Boscaglie di Caio Gracco

Among the unmissable stops in San Giorgio Piacentino is the Rocca di San Giorgio, the country residence of the Scotti di Castelbosco dynasty: the building, whose origins date back to before the year 1000 and which was transformed in subsequent centuries, exceptionally opens its halls rich in frescoes and period furnishings. A short distance away, in the hamlet of Centovera, the Boscaglie di Caio Gracco is an original atelier created from an old farmhouse, where the garden merges with artistic research.

Program and atmosphere

The two days are enriched by a full program of initiatives dedicated to nature and the environment: guided tours, thematic walks, workshops for adults and children, presentations, exhibitions, installations, and artistic performances. There are also convivial moments such as snacks under the trees, brunches, and spring-themed aperitifs, in a relaxed atmosphere that invites rediscovery of the relationship between the city, urban greenery, and landscape.

A shared heritage

Interno Verde was born from the idea that gardens, even private ones, are a cultural asset to be told and shared. The opening of residences like the Rocca di San Giorgio allows us to read the history of the Piacenza territory through its noble residences and rural landscapes, in an experience that unites Piacenza and the villages of Emilia-Romagna in a single narrative of nature, architecture, and memory.