On 16 May 2026, the Oasi Laudato Si’ in Florence welcomed the visit of His Eminence Cardinal Fabio Baggio, Director General of the Laudato Si’ Center for Higher Education, who presented the Borgo Laudato si’ project located within the Papal Gardens of Castel Gandolfo.

The day, marked by a spirit of participation and communion, represented an important occasion of encounter among ecclesial communities committed to promoting the values expressed in the encyclicals Laudato Si’ and Fratelli tutti.

The proceedings were coordinated by Lorenzo Orioli, President of the Associazione Oasi Laudato Si’ Firenze ETS, who highlighted the role of the Oasi as a place of formation, awareness, and concrete commitment to the themes of integral sustainability and universal fraternity.

The opening remarks were delivered by Fr. Pietro Ciuciula, Provincial Superior of the Comboni Missionaries in Italy, who emphasized that care for Creation is an essential dimension of the Church’s mission, closely linked to the promotion of justice, peace, and the dignity of the most vulnerable peoples.

During the morning, participants took part in a guided tour of the Oasi led by botanist and Franciscan tertiary Paolo Luzzi, exploring the various areas of the experiential path: the Garden of Peoples, Saint Francis’ Garden and Saint Hildegard’s Flowerbed, the Fruit Garden, the Olive Grove, the Butterfly and Bee Room, the Garden of Welcome, and the Malbes dedicated to Saint Daniel Comboni.

A particularly meaningful moment was the planting of an olive tree from Borgo Laudato Si’ by Cardinal Fabio Baggio, as a sign of the spiritual bond between the two experiences of integral ecology.

On this occasion, the Oasi Laudato Si’ donated an Iris Florentina, a symbol of Florentine tradition and of the shared responsibility in caring for Creation.

During the meeting, the book Stories of Trees and Faith by Paolo Luzzi, with a preface by Cardinal Fabio Baggio, was also presented. The work offers a reflection on the relationship between spirituality, nature, and biblical tradition, recalling the urgency of an inner conversion capable of accompanying commitment to environmental protection.

The day concluded with a moment of fraternity and sharing, in the awareness that care for our common home is a responsibility entrusted to all and a journey to be built together in a spirit of dialogue, solidarity, and hope.