The mystical garden of the Discalced Carmelites behind the Scalzi church.
Next to the busy train station there is a place where peace and silence reign: the mystical garden of the Discalced Carmelites of the church of Santa Maria di Nazareth.
The Carmelites arrived here in the 17th century and, in the vicinity of their convent, they have always had a vegetable garden where, in addition to the products used for their table, they also cultivated medicinal herbs, including the famous Melissa.
In 2014 the old vegetable garden was completely renovated, transforming itself into a mystical garden, an intimate and secluded place, where the beauty of nature meets the industriousness of man and his spirituality.
The garden is divided into seven flower beds, which represent the seven residences of the interior Castle of Santa Teresa d'Avila, Santa Carmelitana. In fact, each flowerbed evokes a theme dear to the spirituality of the Spanish saint: the fullness of life is associated with the grassy lawn; the mystical meaning of the purification of love is linked to the garden of the simple, where medicinal herbs useful for the purification of the organism are grown. The food garden, in the third flowerbed, expresses the synergy between man and nature, so that the earth can nourish life. The vineyard recalls the Eucharistic wine, in which Christ makes himself truly present, as well as the evangelical image of the profound communion of life between Jesus-vine and disciples-branches. The orchard manifests the generosity of the earth, recalling the generosity of the Creator and urging them to accept Jesus' invitation to the rich young man - taken up by Saint Teresa in the third mansions of the Castle - to leave all good for the one supreme Good. In the last two flower beds, the garden of olive trees evokes the friendship of Jesus with the apostles and with every man, while the grove, made up of trees that recall the passion of Jesus, alludes to the merciful invitation to enter the inner castle of one's own existence.
I visited the garden the year after it was renovated; so there was not much to be seen. It was still nice to visit this large private space which few people know about. It was very late in the afternoon and there was little light for photos. I’ve done some adjustments so that they don’t appear as dark as when I was actually visiting.
The mystical garden of the Discalced Carmelites behind the Scalzi church.
Next to the busy train station there is a place where peace and silence reign: the mystical garden of the Discalced Carmelites of the church of Santa Maria di Nazareth.
The Carmelites arrived here in the 17th century and, in the vicinity of their convent, they have always had a vegetable garden where, in addition to the products used for their table, they also cultivated medicinal herbs, including the famous Melissa.
In 2014 the old vegetable garden was completely renovated, transforming itself into a mystical garden, an intimate and secluded place, where the beauty of nature meets the industriousness of man and his spirituality.
The garden is divided into seven flower beds, which represent the seven residences of the interior Castle of Santa Teresa d'Avila, Santa Carmelitana. In fact, each flowerbed evokes a theme dear to the spirituality of the Spanish saint: the fullness of life is associated with the grassy lawn; the mystical meaning of the purification of love is linked to the garden of the simple, where medicinal herbs useful for the purification of the organism are grown. The food garden, in the third flowerbed, expresses the synergy between man and nature, so that the earth can nourish life. The vineyard recalls the Eucharistic wine, in which Christ makes himself truly present, as well as the evangelical image of the profound communion of life between Jesus-vine and disciples-branches. The orchard manifests the generosity of the earth, recalling the generosity of the Creator and urging them to accept Jesus' invitation to the rich young man - taken up by Saint Teresa in the third mansions of the Castle - to leave all good for the one supreme Good. In the last two flower beds, the garden of olive trees evokes the friendship of Jesus with the apostles and with every man, while the grove, made up of trees that recall the passion of Jesus, alludes to the merciful invitation to enter the inner castle of one's own existence.
I visited the garden the year after it was renovated; so there was not much to be seen. It was still nice to visit this large private space which few people know about. It was very late in the afternoon and there was little light for photos. I’ve done some adjustments so that they don’t appear as dark as when I was actually visiting.