OSTUNI – Over 50 exhibitors and then 11 meetings and workshops; several workshops and three book presentations are the numbers that – next Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th May – will characterize the spring edition of Hortus Ostuni, which this year celebrates its tenth birthday in style, as a market exhibition and unmissable event for enthusiasts of greenery and gardens and a stage for beauties and particularities, but also a privileged offer of knowledge paths for safeguarding the well-being of the planet.
Set up in the “Sandro Pertini” municipal villa of the White City, the market exhibition will be inaugurated on Saturday 11 May at 10.30 am and was presented this morning at Palazzo San Francesco in Ostuni, during a press conference attended by the mayor of the White City, Angelo Pomes; the councilor for Productive Activities and Agriculture of the Municipality of Ostuni, Laura Greco; the tourism councilor of the same local authority, Niki Maffei; the president of Gal Alto Salento, Bonaventura Cucci; the president of Hortus Puglia, Pierangelo Argentieri and Alma Sammarco, vice president of the same organizing association.
«Hortus Ostuni, a celebration of green life that transforms our Villa Comunale into an oasis of inspiration and knowledge – said the mayor Angelo Pomes in his speech -. An event now consolidated in the city panorama, it represents a moment of meeting and discussion for all lovers of greenery, agriculture and gardening. An opportunity to explore issues related to environmental sustainability, the valorization of the territory and the promotion of a healthy lifestyle that is attentive to nature.” And he reiterated: «We are happy to contribute to the realization of this event by celebrating the beauty and vitality of our community through sharing the passion for nature, while also sharing the commitment to a greener and more sustainable future.
The councilor Laura Greco, for his part, underlined that «the conservation of biodiversity is crucial for our natural capital. Preserving it allows us to address future threats such as climate change, forest fires, food insecurity and disease epidemics. As I have already said on other occasions – he continued – among the tasks of an administrator is to raise citizens’ awareness of the protection of the environment, animals and the ecosystem. This is my second edition of Hortus as administrator – he recalled – and the spring edition will certainly be richer in colors and scents thanks to the presence of a vast display of plants and flowers. The program of these three days is very rich in events, meetings and workshops all aimed at enhancing the relationship between man-nature-animals and social inclusion at all levels. Due to professional deformation – she concluded – I am attracted to the meeting that will take place on Sunday at 6pm which will have as its theme “The Murgese Horse in the history and culture of the upper Salento” and among the workshops that will be held on Saturday and Sunday from 4pm that of “Agility and sheepdog”, which will involve demonstrations of disciplines for dogs».
The councilor focused on the tourist implications of Hortus Ostuni Niki Maffei. «Hosting Puglia Hortus is always a pleasure. Over the course of the various editions, the event has demonstrated its ability to evolve and adapt to the directions and political will of the host city – he reiterated -. Our administration cares a lot about the environment and the landscape, and as I have already stated several times in recent months, I believe that Ostuni must be careful to define and offer services aimed at attracting a form of slow and sustainable tourism. The mission of this attention is not only aimed at deseasonalizing, but rather at preserving the territory, ensuring a tourism future that can last in the long term.” And he further observed: «This edition of Hortus, exactly in line with our ideas, will offer meetings of great interest. We will talk about the Paths as a tool for enhancing the agricultural and natural landscape, the Sea and sustainable management models of coastal areas, and we will address issues related to accessibility and urban greenery. In short, Puglia Hortus is a really good excuse for us all to stop, rethink the place we live in and discuss solutions to preserve its beauty.”
So the reflections of the president of Gal Alto Salento, Bonaventura Cucci: «The Gal Alto Salento strengthens its presence in Hortus Ostuni and is an actor in three events that interpret the present and future role of the institution in the Alto Salento area. The workshop on the Murgese horse – he explained – is only the beginning of a journey of knowledge of its history and contextualisation. “The sea I would like” only continues within the Hortus event a path started by the Gal in schools on the protection of the marine habitat. The “Paths of Alto Salento” – he concluded – by updating ancient routes of pilgrim travelers in the area of the district, intend to propose integrated tourism.».
The president of Hortus Puglia pulled the threads of the speech, Pierangelo Argentieri. «Hortus is turning ten because in 10 years it has been able to grasp a need – he explained -: that of reclaiming green spaces and man’s natural tendency to live with nature, which represents our roots with the gestures of making it grow, plant, take care of your own garden, your own vegetable patch; with the gestures of producing your own food or simply living in beauty, which only greenery can give you with that sense of tranquility, that sense of serenity and balance that an event in some way wants you to experience. First of all by reclaiming public spaces because public parks, reserves, the agricultural landscape are an incredible heritage because they are our culture. So Hortus has the ambition not to end with this tenth edition – he concluded -, but to grow, to become a point of reference and to unite a community around values that express exactly these ten years of Hortus: sharing, respect for the environment and above all for the people who care about the land, cultivate it, not only exploit it to produce something, but simply to produce beauty as only greenery, one’s own greenery, can do by regenerating people’s souls”.
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