The Nidiaci in San Frediano, Florence The Nidiaci is the modern name, used only from the 1950s on, for a garden hidden behind the Carmine church where the Renaissance began. It lies behind a gate on the narrow Via d’Ardiglione, where Filippo Lippi was born. Today it is a unique experiment in “commoning”, being kept […]
Tag: Florence
Saving city community life
An article in The Guardian tells us about research showing that the healthiest place to live is a crowded “inner city” – to use the American expression: a place like the Oltrarno. Where an intense social life and especially walking make the big difference, against obesity-promoting, isolated suburbias. This is a key reason we defend […]
Every Wednesday, Community Garden at the Nidiaci
Every Wednesday from 5 pm on, children and parents are invited to share in our Community Garden at the Nidiaci, in Via d’Ardiglione (Oltrarno), just behind the Carmine church. Directed by expert agronomists, a chance to learn, have fun, help life grow… and get some exercise! We’ll also soon be starting singing lessons, with a […]
Alice Ginavri’s photos of the Nidiaci garden Spring Feast
We had the good luck of a visit by photographer Alice Ginavri at the spring feast of the Nidiaci on Saturday. Here are some of the pictures Alice took and made a gift to us of. We’ll be putting up more soon. And of course, a picture of Alice herself!
The Nidiaci Garden of Florence, an Oasis of Commoning in a Busy City
Riprendiamo dal blog di David Bollier The Nidiaci Garden of Florence, an Oasis of Commoning in a Busy City David Bollier Tue, 03/28/2017 – 11:36 The beautiful city of Florence, Italy, is nearly overwhelmed by throngs of tourists much of the year, which leads one to wonder: How can residents live and enjoy the city […]
No Incinerator Moms build own pollution detection kits
An interesting initiative in the overpopulated western part of Florence – unknown to tourists and crowded in between a superhighway, factories and the project to make an intercontinental airport plus a gigantic refuse incinerator. Video in Italian, if you want to support the brave No Incinerator Moms, the contact address is http://cheariatira.mammenoinceneritore.org.
1500 people at the Spring Feast of the Ardiglione-Nidiaci
Spring Feast of the Ardiglione-Nidiaci garden in Oltrarno: the first we have ever organised! Three years ago, we were a small group of parents upset at how a real estate speculator had taken over a ludoteca – a kind of after-school playground with toys and animation by professional educators – and driven the children out. […]
Real estate dealer says kicking children out is a fairy tale
In 1920, the American Red Cross donated the means to turn a building in Florence’s Oltrarno district – Palazzo Santarelli, in Via della Chiesa 44, 46, 48 and 50 – into a kindergarten and playground for the deprived children of the San Frediano area. In 2012, real estate dealer Salvatore Leggiero turned the kids out. […]
Proud to love my backyard
A manipulative expression politicians love to use is “Nimby“: if you love and protect the place you live in instead of accepting that it be used as a waste bin by somebody richer than you, you are a selfish enemy of Progress. We see it differently. As usual, a tiny example from our tiny world […]
Cardinal Archbishop of Florence visits Ardiglione-Nidiaci garden
On Wednesday, April 20, the Archbishop of Florence will be visiting the Ardiglione-Nidiaci garden during his pastoral visit to the parish of San Frediano in Cestello. A strong decision, if we think what this area means in terms of popular identity, of tenacious resistance against injustice, speculation and gentrification, and of the capacity people have […]
Community Gardening behind the Carmine church
Literally in the shade of Santa Maria del Carmine, where the Renaissance began, here we are planting tomatoes, cucumbers and other good and healthy things. Our community garden is small, but growing! This little corner of San Frediano/Oltrarno which we are saving from real estate speculation and institutional neglect (to put it mildly) is beginning […]
History of the “Nidiaci” Garden
Our garden has an incredible history, which we have only gradually discovered. This is our first, rough attempt at telling the story of what we call the “Nidiaci”. There is a lot more to tell, and we look forward to finding someone truly interested in following the matter up. http://www.nidiaci.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/15-10-11-nidiaci-history-english.pdf
How to Keep the Garden Open
This article was published on Solidarity Hall on January 16. How to Keep the Garden Open By MIguel Martinez • January 16, 2015 • Features • No Comments Comments on what happened in Paris have been heavily skewed towards discussions on “religious fundamentalism” Actually a killing spree by three individuals in a city area of […]
Who Owns The Neighborhood?
We have opened a new partnership with the American website, Solidarity Hall. As a start, they published a letter of ours where we present the basic issues of the Oltrarno. We hope to write much more and find a way of making small worlds work together! Here is the full article…
The Nidiaci garden in Oltrarno – in English
The Nidiaci garden and play centre/toy library (ludoteca) is the only public park area for children in the San Frediano district of Florence’s Oltrarno. Our volunteers keep the Nidiaci garden open on every Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon from 4.30 to 7.30. Entrance is from Via d’Ardiglione (a small L-shaped street joining Via Santa Monaca to […]
