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04/30 • The Italian Fig Tree: A Living Cultural Legacy

04/30 • The Italian Fig Tree: A Living Cultural Legacy

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The Italian Fig Tree: A Living Cultural Legacy
Thursday, April 30, 2026 • 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
2nd Fl – The Galleria • $00 members/$10 nonmembers
The Italian Fig Tree: A Living Cultural Legacy invites you to celebrate a meaningful new tradition at Casa Belvedere inspired by the Italian practice of burying fig trees—a powerful symbol of resilience, heritage, and sustainability within Italian American life. Joined by Mary Menniti, Founder and Director of the Italian Garden Project, this special program explores how Italian gardens have long reflected eco-conscious living through seasonal eating, resourcefulness, and intergenerational knowledge—long before sustainability became a modern conversation.
At the heart of the afternoon is the fig tree: a living heirloom that, much like the immigrants who planted it, adapted and flourished in new soil while preserving a deep connection to the Old World. Guests will learn about the Legacy Fig Tree Project, a nationwide initiative dedicated to preserving historic fig trees, documenting the stories of the gardeners who nurtured them, and building a national archive through oral histories, photography, and living gardens.
This seasonal program offers a window into the rich heritage of the Italian American garden while connecting traditional wisdom to a more sustainable future. Guests will also have the opportunity to purchase seeds and related items supporting the Italian Garden Project’s mission to preserve and celebrate this enduring cultural legacy.
Read this short story about the Italian connection to tradition here: https://casa-belvedere.org/no-one-covered-the-fig-tree/

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About the Speaker:

Growing up with an Italian immigrant grandfather, Mary Mennitti came to know and value her grandfather’s self-reliant lifestyle, his careful use of resources, and his extensive gardening knowledge. She founded The Italian Garden Project to preserve old-world food and gardening traditions and demonstrate that the wisdom Italian American gardeners possess is relevant for addressing some of the most pressing challenges of today.
Mary has documented gardens throughout the country. Due to her efforts, an Italian American vegetable garden is now digitally archived in the Archives of American Gardens at the Smithsonian Institution. Since its founding, the Project has offered educational programs on a wide range of topics including heirloom seed saving, fig tree growing, and foraging. Programs also include tours of Italian American vegetable gardens and cooking demonstrations. The Italian Garden Project ™ website includes garden photography, blogs and video featuring old world gardening know-how, traditions, recipes, memories and more. Her work has been featured on NPR, PBS, Smithsonian Gardens Let’s Talk Gardens, and media outlets throughout the US and Italy.

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