Sigurtà criticizes Desenzano’s Italian Garden Project as unfeasible

The municipal administration, as can be seen from the project displayed at the town hall, aims to create an Italian-style garden in the Desenzani area. Work will commence as soon as the initial phase of reorganizing the existing vegetation is completed.

Criticism from the owner of Sigurtà Park

However, cont Giuseppe Inga Sigurtà, owner of the eponymous Sigurtà Park in Valeggio sul Mincio, has weighed in. He criticizes sharply the mayoral decision: “In the city center, such a project makes no sense,” he says. “The Italian garden relies on symmetry, perspective, and space, and here, escape routes are missing. What’s the point of creating flower beds like those in the Vatican, especially next to such a steep slope?”

The count, who has just secured a contract in Brazil and whose Valeggio Park has been described as the best in Italy and one of the most beautiful in Europe from a botanical perspective, also criticizes the council, led by his uncle Arturo Sigurtà, over the cost involved. “One billion seven hundred million lira, including purchase of the land and landscaping, is a huge amount,” he comments. “Furthermore, I intend to send the project to Giacomo Tiraboschi, botanist of Silvio Berlusconi, to clarify what is being planned and how much will be spent.”

Giuseppe Inga Sigurtà believes that the development of a green space into a garden should be overseen by highly capable individuals: “Who is responsible for this intervention? Who is managing the works? What are the qualifications of the Tenda Verde cooperative? A technician who understands botany and considers the future of the vegetation is necessary; otherwise, only damage will be caused,” he criticizes, adding that he had previously offered to provide consultancy to the municipality.

In short, the administration’s idea for the Desenzani area has not at all excited the owner of Italy’s most beautiful park. “A traditional Italian garden in Castiglione, in that environmental context, is an enormous undertaking,” he says. “It generally involves restoring a historical setting that has never existed here. Moreover, harmony must be maintained between Parco Pastore and this area—something more than just geometric flower beds.”