The Garden that Happens

When the garden becomes a studio

The Garden that Happens is an open-air contemporary art exhibition held in the Le Boscaglie d'Arte Garden of Caio Gracco, in the hamlet of Centovera, in the Municipality of San Giorgio Piacentino, in the province of Piacenza (Emilia-Romagna). Here, art is not simply displayed in a neutral space: the garden itself becomes an integral part of the experience, a living studio where the artworks dialogue with the trees, water, and light.

An unusual garden

Le Boscaglie di Caio Gracco is a surprising place, where nature blends with art amidst sculptures and suspended mirrors, anatomical casts, and fantastic characters. You'll find a iron sculpture dedicated to St. Sebastian and a face from which water flows from a fountain, surrounded by papyrus and aquatic plants. The garden's name comes from an inscription found during restoration work, which referred to the "boscaglie di Caio Gracco" (thickets of Caio Gracco), the Roman tribune who promoted an important agrarian reform.

The works on display

The exhibition path intertwines contemporary art and nature through the work of two artists. The creations of Valerio Saltarelli Savi appear as silent presences: woods, metals, and recovered materials transformed into forms rich with memory and meaning, suspended between fragility and resilience. Thia Path, on the other hand, presents vibrant works, made of color and free gesture, with surfaces and movements that invite direct emotional involvement. The artworks are not imposed on the space but inhabit it, allowing visitors to discover them as they walk.

Appuntamento in Giardino

The exhibition is part of Appuntamento in Giardino, the national event promoted by the Association of Parks and Gardens of Italy (APGI), which annually opens private gardens and green spaces not normally accessible to the public. It's an opportunity to discover a little-known corner of the Piacenza area and to experience the garden as a space for meeting, listening, and discovery, where artworks dialogue with the environment and with those who pass through.

An event to be savored slowly

In Centovera, a few kilometers from the center of San Giorgio Piacentino, Il Giardino che Accade offers an experience to be savored without haste: a walk through nature and art, a moment of reflection with the artists, and an invitation to look at the landscape with new eyes. Admission is free.