Orto cucito is a shared space in the heart of Milan whose aim is to promote sustainability and inclusion through a rich cultural programme.
The gentle rays of the sun caressing your face, the delicate scent of flowers pervading the air, blades of grass tickling your feet. Eyelids half-closed, ears straining to catch the sound of hooves on the ground mingled with the pleasant buzzing of bees. The frenzy, the traffic, crowded shops and skyscrapers are a distant memory.
We are within the Navigli ring, in the Lombard capital, inside the shared garden Milano green way. This is where Orto cucito was born, a project conceived by the social cooperatives Officina dell'abitare and Opera in fiore and curated by architect and art designer Caterina Fumagalli.
This is a social urban allotment whose aim is to promote ecology and social inclusion, actively engaging the citizens of Milan. Everything began in February 2021 with the preparation of the soil and the raised beds in which to grow seedlings, before moving on to sowing and planting, in anticipation of the moment of harvest.
The vegetables are tended by people with disabilities, prisoners, homeless people and migrants who, thanks to the cooperative Opera in fiore, have discovered a passion to devote themselves to. Anyone who wishes, however, can "adopt" a raised bed and grow whatever they like. The choice is wide: poppies, cornflowers, sunflowers, chillies, pumpkins, edible flowers, aromatic plants, flax, indigo.
As well as for gardening activities, the allotment can be visited for a drink, to work remotely or simply to read a book surrounded by the colours of nature. Children can make friends with the animals that live at the educational farm: geese, hens, ponies and donkeys.
A very rich calendar of events is planned, from knitting and dressmaking workshops to workshops on growing and natural dyes. It will be possible to take part in yoga lessons on the grass or bicycle rides among the farmsteads; to buy plants, flowers, produce from the farming businesses in the Slow Food Milano area metropolitana network and handmade items from Borseggi, the men's tailoring workshop founded inside the Milan-Opera prison.
For Milan we will create a new place, made of beauty, synergies and closeness to others, to those who are most fragile.
Caterina Fumagalli
Also planned are talks on biodiversity and sustainable food, as well as masterclasses that extend into the fields of fashion and upcycling. To avoid missing a single event, we suggest following Orto cucito's Instagram profile, while for further information simply send an email.
"For years, as an architect, I have chosen to contribute to the conception and development of inclusive projects. I feel the responsibility to design more liveable cities, also taking part in the regeneration of peripheral or as-yet-undeveloped areas," Caterina Fumagalli tells us. "Orto cucito was born this year, but it will grow over time, also thanks to the contribution of important partners rooted in the local area and to the interaction with the citizens who will make the place their own. I believe strongly in culture as an engine of growth in urban and territorial policies: we want to show how a grassroots project can become one of the authoritative voices in the current debate on environmental sustainability."
LifeGate is the media partner of the initiative, while the young creative agency Wonder provides support for the development of digital channels. The workshop partners are Fibra research, co-founded by Fumagalli and Adriana Fortunato, and Re-generations; among the cultural partners is the museo Bagatti Valsecchi, and among the network partners is Libera contro le mafie. These are just some of the players who are committing themselves to giving the people of Milan — and anyone who wants to enjoy a day at the allotment — a space in which to rediscover a love of the land, of nature and of people. Feelings that, never more so than during this pandemic, we have come to realise we truly hold.