About the Garden: Which Figures and Which Reinterpretations Provide Answers to Contemporary Questions Without Betraying Its Meaning

The chapter questions the possible role of the garden – a place built with predominantly natural elements – in the contemporary era characterised by environmental, cultural and social emergencies. The history of the garden – an archetype of our culture – reflects that of every civilisation, and the garden represents a link between nature and architecture. In the past, each era has given its own particular interpretation of the garden, providing its own responses to the specific needs of society. Today, faced with the demands of the contemporary world, new reinterpretations and new layouts seek to go beyond the traditional notion of the garden, an archetype of our culture, without betraying its profound meaning. It is therefore essential to combine quantitative and qualitative data, integrating the current demands for more green spaces in the urban fabric of European cities with sustainable solutions also from a formal and aesthetic point of view.