Spring: Experience April at FAI Properties

5–6 April: Easter Weekend

From north to south, FAI Properties across Italy are once again ready to welcome visitors over the Easter weekend and for the traditional Pasquetta (Easter Monday outing).

Easter Monday, known as Lunedì dell’Angelo, is the perfect opportunity to enjoy a festive and relaxing day immersed in culture, art and nature.

A wide range of activities is planned: visitors can enjoy a picnic on the lawns, take part in team games, explore nature walks, and join creative workshops designed for both adults and children.

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Art Exhibitions

From 10 April, Villa Panza in Varese, in collaboration with The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, will present Josef Albers. Meditations, a solo exhibition dedicated to Josef Albers.

The exhibition brings together thirty paintings—rarely shown to the public—from important public and private collections in the United States and Europe. An abstract painter, designer and pioneering educator, Josef Albers (1888–1976) believed deeply in the power of art “to open our eyes”, dedicating much of his work to the study of colour and its interactions.

Until 26 April, the Olivetti Showroom in Piazza San Marco, Venice, will host the exhibition Textures. The show offers a concise overview of the work of Carlo Mattioli (1911–1994), a leading figurative artist of the twentieth century. Featuring 27 works—including glass and wooden sculptures, canvas paintings and panel paintings—the exhibition subtly punctuates the architectural masterpiece designed by Carlo Scarpa, allowing the space itself to retain its distinctive character.

11–12 April

At Villa Della Porta Bozzolo, the elegant “villa of delight” located near Lake Maggiore, don’t miss The Camellia Days, an event dedicated to these beautiful evergreen shrubs native to the Far East.

For the occasion, selected exhibitors will display numerous varieties of camellias throughout the villa’s park, filling the gardens with colour and fragrance.

At Villa dei Vescovi in Luvigliano di Torreglia (Padua), the second edition of Herbarium will celebrate the world of flowers, plants and medicinal herbs in all their forms.

Over two days of nature, scents and traditional knowledge, visitors will discover the uses and curiosities of these natural gifts in gastronomy, wellbeing and craftsmanship. An immersive experience combining beauty, flavour and tradition in the heart of the Euganean Hills.

18–19 April

This weekend, the Monastero di Torba in Gornate Olona (Varese) hosts Herbarium, an event dedicated to medicinal plants and their many historical and contemporary uses, exploring folk beliefs, traditions and science.

The theme is deeply connected to the history of the monastery, where for centuries the resident religious community cultivated and processed medicinal and aromatic herbs. Across the two days, visitors will discover this heritage through a variety of activities for adults and children, including excursions, talks, picnics and hands-on workshops.

On Sunday 19 April, Castello di Avio (Sabbionara d’Avio – Trento) hosts the third edition of Selvatica, an event for families and children dedicated to the wildlife that inhabits the forest surrounding the castle walls.

Meet the animals that populate the woodland—from badgers and foxes to owls and chamois—alongside species closely linked to the life of the castle, such as the fire salamander and the kestrel.

25–26 April

During the Liberation Day weekend, many FAI Properties across Italy will host activities for the whole family, particularly picnics and outdoor events.

A highlight not to be missed is Lu Panieri at the Abbazia di Santa Maria di Cerrate in Lecce: the traditional agricultural fair that represents an important piece of local history for the people of Lecce and neighbouring towns.

For many it is a childhood memory and a beloved tradition revived by FAI during the celebration of the Madonna of Cerrate. Historically described by Castromediano as a small market of “rings of bread, toys, household goods, dried and fresh fruit, and various small items”, today the event also celebrates Salento’s craftsmanship, traditional trades and the extraordinary richness of the region’s gastronomy.

May Day Weekend

From Friday 1 May to Sunday 3 May, we look forward to welcoming you to Castello di Masino in Caravino (Turin) for Tre Giorni per il Giardino (Three Days for the Garden), one of Italy’s most renowned and anticipated events dedicated to horticulture and plant nurseries.

This spring edition explores the theme “Roots”, inviting us to reflect on our relationship with the environment and the communities in which we live.