The Secret Garden

As part of the FuoriOrticola 2019 event organised by Orticola di Lombardia, the 19th-century cloister of the Gallerie d’Italia in Milan will be turned into a luxuriant garden under the direction of Marie Claire Maison editor Cinzia Felicetti.

A haven of rest in the heart of Milan

Part meditation garden, part al fresco art gallery, The secret Garden is a refuge from the hectic pace of city life where visitors can lose themselves in a multisensory experience to satisfy the eyes and mind.

Inspired by Herman Hesse’s story Liebenslied, at the heart of the cloister stands a sculpture by Arnaldo Pomodoro, Disco in forma di rosa del deserto, framed by a riot of small shrubs, herbaceous perennials and snowy petals.
Completing the fairy-tale atmosphere is a natural soundtrack weaving together birdsong, gushing water and rustling leaves – specially created by composer Alberto Maria Gatti – with perfumed notes of woodlands and flowers.

Tribute to the romantic garden

Its closeness to the Garden of Alessandro Manzoni, a well-known gardening enthusiast, enhances the intensity of the multicoloured, immersive experience in the cloister.
The garden as an untainted space that appeals to the senses and surpasses forms: The secret Garden’s tribute to romantic art.