Meetings in the Library’s “Secret Garden” with writers, poets and photographers. To fully appreciate the beauty and content of a good book, as well as the meanings behind an image, which can sometimes convey a powerful message of civic engagement. This, in a nutshell, is the essence of the “Literary Garden”, a new series of events launching at the “Vallesiana” Municipal Library in Castelfiorentino from Saturday 18 April.
The first event will feature Arianna Papini (5.30 p.m.) for an evening entitled “Look at me, listen to me: nature as healing, slowness as freedom”. A dialogue through images and reading aloud, with an autobiographical and art-therapeutic approach.
Arianna Papini, a writer, teacher and illustrator, boasts an impressive track record of over 150 publications and numerous awards, including the Andersen Prize for Best Illustrator (2018), the Compostela Prize, the Silent Book Contest and the Rodari Prize. Several of her books have been translated abroad (France, Spain, Portugal, England, China) and she is also deeply committed to promoting reading, both for adults and children, who greatly appreciate the content and underlying messages of her illustrated publications.
In addition to the event on 18 April, the series will continue with two further sessions, scheduled for 9.30 p.m.: on 26 June, the Secret Garden will host the writer, poet and paesologist Franco Arminio for an evening entitled “The Infinite Without Realising It: Beauty, Poetry, Landscape”, in which “paesologia” – according to the definition coined by Arminio himself – is presented as a new discipline that combines ethnology, poetry and geography to study small villages, drawing attention to many forgotten hamlets.
The final event takes place on 10 September with Michele Borzoni, documentary photographer and founder of the TerraProject collective, for an initiative entitled “Silent Spring: photography, activism, climate justice”.
“With the LLiterary Garden” – emphasises the Councillor for Culture, Franco Spina – “we aim to revitalise a wonderful space, the hortus conclusus of our Vallesiana Library, in the heart of our upper historic centre, so that it once again becomes fully accessible to our users and a place where culture can be experienced first-hand, with a snack corner, new furnishings and three unmissable events featuring leading figures from the worlds of art and literature. Thanks to the support of the Regional Council, we have in fact been able to launch this prestigious series of events, which we hope will contribute to the garden and library being used more and more, to turn new pages and cultivate culture”.
All events scheduled as part of the “Literary Garden” programme require booking. Information and bookings: +39 0571 686400; biblioteca@comune.castelfiorentino.fi.it
This series of events forms an integral part of the “Accedi alla Vallesiana” project promoted by the Municipality of Castelfiorentino and implemented with regional funding pursuant to Regional Law No. 10/2025.
