1. An ecological garden

Welcome to the garden of Microcosm. You have just entered and chosen to discover it with this audio guide that will give you information and directions during your walk. At the beginning of each stage, a panel will indicate the number to activate the corresponding audio. This garden has an educational purpose, so we do our best to manage it with respect for nature. Here is what we have committed ourselves to: Energy saving. We collect rainwater and use it for irrigation, but only when necessary, because we have planted species suited to our microclimate, which require little water. The green roof improves the building’s insulation and microclimate. Solar and photovoltaic panels help us produce energy, making us almost totally self-sufficient. We do not use herbicides and we recycle our waste as much as possible, limiting plastic as much as possible. Above all, our garden is a source of tranquillity, a place to stroll and relax. Walk towards the small oak tree and take a seat on the bench. In the garden today, you can enjoy the life and biodiversity, with all the insects and plants around you. Breathe in the fresh air and listen to the rustling of the leaves in the wind. Look in front of you or touch the 3D model of the landscape in front of you. In front of you is the historic centre of Caltagirone, the queen of the Erei mountains, surrounded by a typical Sicilian hilly landscape. Its high concentration of historically, artistically, and architecturally significant testimonies from the late Baroque period earned it UNESCO World Heritage recognition in 2002, along with the other cities of the Val di Noto. The clay hills have attracted people to settle here since ancient times, producing terracotta objects; there are remains of prehistoric necropolises in the area dating back 2000 years B.C.. San Mauro is an ancient Greek colony, and one of the two most important local archaeological sites. It’s located right on the continuation of the hill where we are standing, on the left. From the 4th century B.C. to present day, over 2,500 archaeological finds are housed in the Caltagirone Ceramic Museum. The name Caltagirone probably derives from the Arabic term Qal’at al Ghiran, which literally translates to ‘Rock of the Vases’. A name that already hints at how deep-rooted and ancient the ceramic tradition is in this city. The production of ceramics was also linked to the availability of resources from the nearby cork forest of Santo Pietro, one of the largest in Europe, whose cysts (Rusedde in dialect) were used to feed the kilns for firing ceramics. The territory of the Calatino district is rich in quality and organic agricultural production, such as: – Monti Iblei olive oil (PDO), Mazzarrone table grapes (PGI), San Cono prickly pears (PDO), Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG wines. Vineyards have existed in the area for more than 2000 years. Last century, a millstone stood on the site where we are standing. It’s a building used for crushing and vinifying grapes; on the other side of this hill we are in the Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOC area. Now immerse yourself in the garden, which includes a sensory path and several biotopes typical of the local hillside environment: the dry grassland, the mixed hedge, the thermophilic scrub, the olive grove, the oak grove and the pine forest. Following the route on your right, and you will find your first stop on the left.

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Listen to the audio guide