History
Horti is a 35,000 mฒ green area in the centre of Pavia that the Almo Collegio Borromeo - the oldest merit-based university college of Italy - has regenerated and opened to the public for free, asserting for everyone the right to Beauty.
Today, this place brings together different natural habitats, important contemporary artworks, cultural reflection, ethical commitment, and social inclusion.
Once dedicated to cultivating vegetable gardens and orchards, this area has become a space for social life, creativity, and the exchange of knowledge, grounded in the belief that Beauty has a redemptive, educational, and healing power.
Horti is a naturalistic park that, thanks to the creation of new water paths and wetlands, the planting of thousands of new trees and shrubs, and the installation of bird feeders and nesting boxes, insect houses, and beehives, protects and enhances biodiversity.
Horti is also an art garden, where nature engages in dialogue with works of some of the most significant artists of our time, many of them created site-specific.
Finally, Horti is an ethical project that promotes social inclusion, solidarity, sustainability, and equity. Hospitality, green care, park maintenance, and the food service of Horti Bistrot are entrusted to people experiencing vulnerability, who find in Horti an opportunity for renewal.
A extensive cultural program enhances the park with initiatives, meetings, conferences, workshops, and open dialogues that bring together multiple disciplines and perspectives.