Respiri di primavera

"Respiri di Primavera" (‘Breaths of Spring’): Palermo’s Botanical Gardens celebrate the equinox with a blend of science, music and fragrances

There is a time of year when day and night look each other in the eye and shake hands, in perfect balance: the spring equinox, the invisible threshold that marks the return of light and the reawakening of nature. At the Botanical Gardens of Palermo, for the first time, this transition becomes an experience, a story, a sound: ‘Respiri di Primavera’ is the inaugural edition of a new event that will focus on the world of essences, the olfactory memory of plants and the dialogue between science and perception.

For two days – Friday 20 and Saturday 21 March – the University of Palermo’s grand historic garden will be transformed into an open laboratory of sensory experiences, where the rigour of scientific research meets the art of botanical perfumery, featuring seminars, botanical walks, music and demonstrations.

The University Museum System will also present its recently acquired historical collection of 19th-century charcoal filters for water purification: six rare porcelain pieces, delicately crafted in England, Germany and Italy, with decorations reminiscent of Art Nouveau.

This year’s spring equinox will fall on Friday 20 March at 3.46 pm: a string ensemble will perform in the Gymnasium, and the vibrant interplay between strings and guitars will officially herald the start of the new season, marking the transition from winter’s rest to renewal.

“The University of Palermo remains committed to science communication and reaffirms its mission as an open institution, capable of transforming knowledge into a collective heritage, transferring it from university lecture halls to the wider public,” says Rector Massimo Midiri.

“The Equinox is not merely a specific astronomical phenomenon, but the deep pulse of nature which, at the Botanical Garden, we seek to interpret and recount through science, art, music and culture: this event aims to refocus attention on the life cycle of plants,” explains Rosario Schicchi, director of the Botanical Garden, while Michelangelo Gruttadauria, president of Unipa Heritage, adds: “We will link the history of science with the vitality of our living collections, to reveal the fascinating connection between the study of plants and the extraction of their essences. A new format that aims to make the University Museum System a place for discussion and discovery.”

THE TWO-DAY PROGRAMME

Respiri di Primavera has been created to celebrate this time of rebirth, with a range of activities linked to the world of essential oils.

Friday 20 March: collection of historic filters, olfactory experiences and guided tours

Respiri di Primavera opens on Friday (20 March) at 3 pm in the Gymnasium with the presentation of a new collection acquired by the University Museum System: six rare porcelain charcoal filters (19th–20th centuries), unique examples of European design and craftsmanship. A crucial invention in the history of water purification during the British industrial revolution, these are fine pieces in Victorian stoneware by the firms W. M. Jowett & CO. and Slack & Brownlow (Manchester), an Art Nouveau-style decorated filter by Berkefeld, and a rare majolica filter by Manifatture Ginori.

At 3.46 pm, music will mark the official start of spring: Manlio Speciale on violin, Giuseppe Rizzo and Giuseppe Lomeo on guitar, and Antonino Lo Verso on double bass (Phytophonics). From 4 pm to 6 pm, in the historic Herbarium, ‘olfactory experiences’ led by Michelangelo Gruttadauria. The collaboration with Spezieria Siciliana, a new botanical perfumery founded in Palermo, will also be presented, in the presence of the President of Unipa Heritage Michelangelo Gruttadauria, the Director of the Botanical Garden Rosario Schicchi and the founder of Spezieria Siciliana Piero Di Pasquale.

Saturday 21 March: Orchids and the Di Giovanni Collection

Saturday morning will be dedicated to the ‘queens’ of flowers: orchids. At 10.30 am in the Sala Lanza, there will be a seminar entitled ‘Orchids: history, collecting and shared care’; at 12 noon in the Orchid Greenhouse, the unveiling of a plaque commemorating the donation of the Ettore Di Giovanni collection, followed by a guided tour of the greenhouse led by AMAO members and Tiziana Turco, curator of the Botanical Garden’s orchid collection.

From 1.30 pm in the newly opened Casa del Pozzo, “From flower to bottle”: olfactory experiences, an extraction and distillation workshop led by Michelangelo Gruttadauria; and at 3 pm, “Fragrant plants” begins, a guided botanical and olfactory walk amongst citrus fruits, aromatic herbs and resins led by the director of the Botanical Garden, Rosario Schicchi. ‘Respiri di Primavera’ concludes at 7.30 pm in the Sala Lanza with ‘Stories of Science and Music', a talk on asymmetries in music and nature, organised by The GEM Academy and Michelangelo Gruttadauria.

Educational activities (organised by CoopCulture)

On both Friday and Saturday, CoopCulture will be organising two educational activities at 4 pm and 4.30 pm: children will be able to make a small, colourful, eco-friendly planter; and adults will be able to discover exotic plants and botanical wonders:

“Nature Awakens”, a guided tour for adults through the exotic wonders of the Garden (4.30 pm – cost: €5).

“Spring Planter”, an educational tour for children followed by a creative workshop to make a small eco-friendly planter (4.00 pm – cost: €10).

Reduced admission to the Botanical Garden: €5.