Nicola's Garden

Harmony between nature, beauty, and spirituality

Within the agricultural area of Borgo Laudato si’, the Nicola’s Garden project was created: a series of gardens and green spaces surrounding the large greenhouse and the training center, transforming the former farmland into a place of encounter between people, nature, and spirituality.

Once dedicated exclusively to agricultural production, this portion of land has now become a renewed landscape where natural beauty interacts with architecture, and sustainability becomes an integral part of the visitor’s experience.

The creation of this Garden was made possible thanks to the generosity and vision of benefactors Nicola Z. and Terrence M. Mullen (Clearview Family Foundation), whose sensitivity enabled the development of a place designed to foster harmony between nature and people, while promoting education, research, and a new culture of sustainability.

Inspiration and Values

Care for Creation as a Founding Principle

The project draws inspiration from Pope Francis’ Encyclical Laudato Si’, placing at its heart the care for creation, sustainability, and beauty as expressions of faith. Nicola’s Garden embodies the principles of integral ecology, uniting:

Circular economy and environmental sustainability: responsible use of natural resources, renewable energy, and material reuse.

Social inclusion: training and employment opportunities for vulnerable individuals within a real and supportive environment.

Spirituality and harmony: nature becomes a living part of the faith experience, within a “living Church” in dialogue with its surroundings.

The Three Souls of the Gardens

The landscape design extends across more than three hectares, articulated in three main areas—each with its own identity, yet in constant dialogue with the others.

Perimeter Gardens

Nature as Boundary and Welcome

These areas define the perimeter of the site with spontaneous vegetation and native trees, creating a natural frame that separates productive zones from visitor areas. The presence of cypresses and ever-blooming roses recalls the characteristic landscapes of Lazio and ensures visual continuity with the rest of the Borgo. During construction, peperino stone boulders unearthed on site were reused to build slopes and retaining walls—an example of sustainable recovery and appreciation of local materials.

Formal Gardens

The Art of Order and Symmetry

Inspired by the Barberini Gardens of the Papal Villas, the central gardens form the most scenic area of the complex. Italian-style parterres, boxwood hedges, topiary forms, and geometric compositions create harmonious patterns and elegant perspectives—where nature becomes art. Seasonal blooms add color and vitality, offering visitors a constantly evolving experience, balanced between tradition and modernity.

Embracing Gardens

The Greenhouse Immersed in Nature

Around the Educational Greenhouse and the Training Centre, green arches and climbing plants envelop the structure in a gentle embrace of light and vegetation. Species such as bougainvillea, wisteria, ivy, and trumpet vine soften the visual impact of the architecture, creating an intimate, contemplative atmosphere. Here, the landscape becomes a space for meditation and encounter—where architecture and nature merge in harmonious balance.