On Monday May 26, Italian architect Costanza Mondani greeted guests at the Palazzi Community Center in Florence, Italy to speak about I Nuovi Giardini all'Italiana: Storia, Contesto Urbano eil Verde Terapeutico, her book centered around healing gardens, green spaces, and the significant effects they have on mental health and wellbeing.

Green spaces are publicly accessible areas of land that are partially or fully covered in vegetation, designed to increase an urban community’s access to nature. Offering benefits such as reduced stress, increased mental health, and increased air quality, some architects factor green spaces into city planning to create an ideal environment for its residents.

Mondani grew up in Pistoia, a small town just outside of Florence. Though close to the city, Pistoia is the biggest producer of plants and botanical life in Tuscany and has the largest nursery campus in all of Europe. Surrounded by greenery, Mondani’s early years connected her to nature.

She later moved to Milan to study architecture, and eventually to China to pursue a PhD. At first, the excitement and allure of city life drew her in, but eventually she came to miss the green spaces of her hometown.

“Once you turn 30, you realize that you need somewhere to breathe,” she recalled.

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced her to leave Beijing and return to Italy, Mondani found herself at a turning point. Though unexpected, this sudden life change inspired a redirection in her career as well. “I changed my life from a dream of constructing buildings to a dream of constructing spaces,” Mondani said.

It was during this period that Mondani met Andrea Mati and began learning about healing gardens. Soon, she was designing her own gardens with his company MATO 1990, and was able to apply concepts she learned abroad, including Feng Shui – an ancient Chinese practice focused on creating balance and happiness through the design of spaces. Mondani, a seasoned architect and garden designer, recognizes the importance of green spaces in general, but specifically focused on the concept of healing gardens. Healing garden is a term used to describe more localized versions of green spaces in hospitals or public health environments, designed to help patients recover faster and reap their benefits.

“We use healing gardens for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Down Syndrome, Alzheimer’s, anxiety, depression,” said Mondani. “Any space is good for any pathology, and we’re trying to make it more and more inclusive.”

Healing gardens provide a safe, stimulating space for adults and children with ASD to explore their senses and engage with nature. They improve sensory awareness and social interactions for patients with Down Syndrome. Colors, sounds, and smells can improve cognitive ability, and resurface memories in patients with Alzheimer’s. The gardens are a calming space to relax in, reducing cortisol in patients with anxiety and depression, and increasing their overall well-being.

Mondani said she deeply believes in the work of designing healing gardens. When she started her work with Mati, healing gardens were not very well-known but have increased in popularity over the years.

“We’ve moved from, let’s say three projects a year, to 30 projects a year,” said Mondani.

In recent years, Mondani said, Italy has begun to formally recognize horticultural therapy as a legitimate practice. Since 2022, the University of Bologna has offered a master's program in horticultural therapy, training professionals to use plants and gardening as therapeutic tools for people with various mental and physical health conditions.

Mondani also said that one of the first healing gardens was in Florence. Founded in 1288, the Santa Maria Nuova Hospital is the oldest active hospital in Florence. The hospital had various inner cloisters and gardens that grew medicinal herbs and provided green spaces for patients.

Mondani said that having green spaces in hospitals can help patients recover faster. She explained the difference that someone would feel when looking out their hospital window and seeing greenery in comparison to just seeing the wall of a nearby building.

Mondani is now a PhD Student at the Università degli Studi di Firenze researching Urban Future Studies. She said she wants to do the scientific research to support the impacts that she has seen healing gardens make.

“I want to give confirmation from science on the effectiveness of the healing properties of this space,” concluded Mondani.