Andrea Mati, lecturer in the Master’s in Therapeutic Horticulture at the University of Bologna, put the therapeutic value of nature at the heart of his talk and, drawing on decades of experience, demonstrated how gardens and landscapes can become genuine vehicles for healing and inclusion.

Alongside him, Doctor Iacopo Celiberti, neurologist at Udine Hospital, offered a clinical perspective on how contact with nature has a positive effect on neurological and cognitive health.

Doctor Susanna Cardinale, president of the Associazione Alzheimer di Udine (Udine Alzheimer’s association) instead spoke about the impact of the disease in the region and the activities the association promotes daily to support patients and their families.

Scientific research provides increasingly compelling evidence that contact with nature reduces stress and anxiety, strengthens the immune system, supports people with cognitive disorders and significantly improves quality of life.

The event also brought to mind Doctor Gaetano Perusini, who contributed to defining Alzheimer’s disease.
The conference was held as part of the project Celiberti per l’Unesco – La Storia, la Natura e l’Arte (“Celiberti for UNESCO – History, Nature and Art”), supported by the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia.</h5>