The number of classes involved in the project is still growing. Vegetable Market in Condotta, the final event of the project now known as Slow Food School Gardens, supported and funded by the Municipality of Livorno, coordinated by CRED and with the collaboration of teachers from the city's schools. On Thursday, May 28th, at 3:30 pm, Villa Mimbelli will host the fifteenth edition of the event, which will feature over 140 classes and an educational network that has become a point of reference at the national level.
An educational project that has become a national model
Livorno's school gardens stand out for their quality content and the broad participation of schools, each with their own garden. This recognition also came from Slow Food Italy, through the words of Stefania Durante, head of the education office, who was in Livorno for the Biologicamente project activities. The initiative thus confirms the city's role in promoting food education, sustainability, and the direct connection between children, land, and food.
The children's parade will open the event
The event will kick off with the traditional parade of children in the Villa Mimbelli park. The classes, accompanied by KoalaLudo leaders, will enter from the Via delle Case Rosse entrance and accompany the launch of the Ark of Taste, which will then continue its journey through other initiatives in Italy. The Ark will become a symbol of the protection of agri-food biodiversity and family and small-scale farming, currently threatened by agricultural industrialization, genetic erosion, climate change, changing dietary patterns, rural abandonment, migration, and conflict.
Child farmers will sell the products grown at school
After the parade, the market itself will begin. The farmer-children will travel to their respective school stands to "sell" to their families the vegetables they've grown in the school gardens over the previous months. It will be the culmination of an educational and community effort that combines learning, care, responsibility, and knowledge of the land's produce.
Camici: "A pillar of the school community"
Deputy Mayor Libera Camici emphasized the significance of the fifteenth edition, calling it a prestigious achievement and a demonstration of the Livorno education system's ability to cultivate projects of excellence designed to last. Camici highlighted the teamwork between teachers, the local Slow Food Convivium, and the coordination of Valentina Gucciardo, emphasizing how the school garden is no longer just an educational activity, but a true pillar of the school community, capable of educating new generations about respect for the earth, conscious eating, and healthy lifestyles.
The Ark of Taste's journey will start from Livorno
Valentina Gucciardo, head of Slow Food Livorno, expressed pride in Livorno's choice as the starting city for the Ark of Taste's journey, which will also stop at Terra Madre – Salone del Gusto in Turin next September. According to Gucciardo, this choice represents national recognition of the work carried out in the city. This edition will be dedicated to Carlo Petrini, founder of Slow Food, who passed away on the evening of May 21st. Gucciardo recalled one of his most significant quotes, "He who sows utopia reaps reality," calling it the inspiration that led to the creation of the Orto a Livorno project over fifteen years ago.
A celebration of snacks, sustainability, and fun activities
In addition to the sale of garden produce, Villa Mimbelli will host numerous initiatives promoted by schools and guests. Children will enjoy a snack of bread and extra virgin olive oil from local producers. A snack for celiacs will also be available in the area set up by the Municipality's 0-6 Educational Services, provided by the School Catering Office. Thanks to ASA, a high-quality water fountain will be installed for refilling water bottles, reducing the use of plastic bottles and contributing to a low-impact event.
Waste, water and attention to the park
Aamps will also participate with an "Ecological Station," where all waste generated during the event will be disposed of. The goal is to ensure that the Villa Mimbelli park is returned to order as quickly as possible after the event, reinforcing the educational message of environmental sustainability and the care of public spaces.
Slow Food, Food Council and products to save
At the Slow Food station, it will be possible to observe the Ark of Taste up close and personal, as well as the work carried out by the Dal Borro school classes, which will soon travel to the Marche region. Participants will also be able to contribute to the collection of data on typical and traditional products worth preserving, with the support of the Livorno Food Council. The initiative strengthens the connection between school, the local community, and local food heritage.
Games, food and international participation
The School of Pediatrics will have a stand in the Mazzini Comprehensive Institute, offering a food game of snakes and ladders, fruit bingo, and odor and aroma bingo, thanks also to the support of a volunteer from the Porto dei Piccoli ETS Foundation. The Mazzini Middle School will also host 20 students and two teachers from the Collège Josephine Baker in Valenciennes, France, who are visiting Livorno as part of the Erasmus KA122 environmental sustainability project "Quercus."
Mindful Eating and workshops for children
The De Amicis school will set up a space dedicated to Mindful Eating at the table, with tips for more mindful eating, using the five senses to explore food, slowing down during meals, and recognizing hunger and satiety cues. At the stands of the Frangilli School, the Pian di Rota and Menotti schools, and the Piccolo Principe preschool, participants will be able to participate in the bottle cap game, while the Carducci schools will offer a creative workshop with seeds.
Playroom, nurseries and themed activities
Villa Mimbelli's La Serra Incantata play center will be open for themed activities. The Satellite Nursery will host a workshop for creating "Our Friend Testa di Prato" (Our Friend Meadow Head), aimed at children aged 0-3, while the Zerotre Nursery will offer a story reading using the Kamishibai method. The event will thus engage even the youngest children, confirming the educational project's cross-disciplinary nature.
The Girls Reuse and the TRAME project
This year's special guest will be the group Le Bimbe RiUsano, led by Federica Pracchia, a nurse working at the Health Education Unit in Livorno. In their "living room," they will bring the TRAME project, active at the Women's Center since early May: a welcoming space for people to meet, express themselves, and build relationships through crochet workshops. Art becomes a common language, while crochet symbolizes unity and intertwines diverse threads, just like people.
Creativity, solidarity and material recovery
The Bimbe RiUsano (Girls ReUse) are volunteers belonging to an age group considered vulnerable and at risk of isolation, supported by young women learning manual skills passed down from older generations. The group uses recovered and recycled materials to develop projects to support those facing illness. The production of colorful pinwheels conveys energy, freedom, and the richness of diversity, transforming creativity into participation, belonging, solidarity, and environmental awareness.
Donations will support AISM, pediatrics and Terra Madre
This year, the proceeds from the Market and the donations raised will be donated to AISM Livorno, to support and develop the Pediatric Garden, and to participate in Terra Madre at the Salone del Gusto in Turin, where the goal is to bring a group of teachers as active witnesses to the Livorno project. In past years, the funds have been used to adopt gardens in Africa, support communities affected by natural disasters, and promote other solidarity projects. Based on the amount raised, the working group of teachers and volunteers will also evaluate additional initiatives to support.
Over 140 classes involved in the project
The fifteenth edition of the Mercato dell'Orto in Condotta involves nurseries, childcare centers, preschools, elementary schools, a middle school, and the hospital school. Nurseries include Coccinella, Colibrì, Il Satellite, and Zerotre. Participating are the Alveare, Girasoli, La Giostra, Piccolo Principe, and Pina Verde I Villini preschools, along with the Benetti, Bimbi Allegri, Cave Bondi, Gobetti, Menotti, La Rosa, Palazzina, Piccole Onde, Pian di Rota, and Tartaruga preschools. Also participating are the Banditella, Campana, Carducci, Dal Borro, De Amicis, Gramsci, Micheli, Razzauti, Rodari, and Villa Corridi primary schools, the Mazzini middle school, and the hospital school.
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