A new exhibition space opens in the historic center of Rome, not far from Piazza Navona and Castel Sant’Angelo: the Spazio Arti Floreali, adjacent to the homonymous Studio Arti Floreali, which has long been involved in many disciplines related to flowers and their culture. To the place where, in twenty years of activity, workshops, courses, exhibitions and many cultural initiatives have been held, now a new exhibition setting is added, connected to the Studio by a flowery courtyard, restored and equipped to host exhibitions, conferences, presentations, events.
Spazio Arti Floreali will be officially inaugurated on 7 October with the exhibition “Di fiore in fiore”, an exhibition of internationally recognized artists working in the field of botanical watercolor (open until the 20 October 2021). They are Lucilla Carcano, Maria Lombardi, Alfredina Nocera, Luca M. Palermo, Angela Petrini, Carla Pucci da Filicaja, Daniela Savoia, Maria Rita Stirpe, Marina Ubertini, Milena Vanoli, Silvana Volpato and Elena Zito.

The works of the aforementioned artists, exhibited in many Italian Museums and Botanical Gardens – even in the exclusive Kew Gardens in London – have often been purchased from prestigious international collections, such as Shirley Sherwood which has the largest private collection, or Mellon University in Pittsburg. the most important public collector. A particular and precious technique, that of painted botany, which uses watercolor, a specific and difficult medium to use, with transparencies and vibrant colors imprinted on prepared papers, cardboard or parchment, with translucent alabaster effects. It was Luca Palermo – one of the artists who will exhibit in the exhibition – who brought this particular form of art to light, researching technical methods in the pages of the ancient Masters and teaching them for years; some of his works are exhibited at Windsor Castle, in the English Princely House.

As part of the inauguration, Thursday 7 October (5:30 pm – 8:00 pm), in addition to some of the exhibiting painters, will participate Prof. Fabio Garbari, full professor of Systematic Botany at the Faculty of Sciences M.F.N. and then at the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Pisa, where he directed the Botanical Garden and the Department of Botanical Sciences for several years, President of the Italian Botanical Society.
A second themed event, focused on the close relationship between Botany and the Environment, will take place on Thursday 14 October, in the presence of Giulia Caneva, Full Professor of Environmental and Applied Botany of the Roma Tre University, and the naturalist and entomologist Enzo Colonnelli, world expert of curculionid beetle insects, well known in the national and international scientific community.
Alberta Campitelli, historian of art and gardens, and former director of the Macro and of the Villas and Historical Parks Office of the Municipality of Rome, also responsible for management and conservation of 42 complexes, as well as responsible for important restorations, including Villa Borghese and Villa Torlonia, will be at the finissage on Wednesday 20 October (5:00 pm – 8:00 pm).