March 14, 2025

By Francesco Serafini, Presidente The Garden of Peace
and Oriano Spadoni, Segretario Generale The Garden of Peace

A new Garden of Peace was officially inaugurated on March 11, 2025, in Agrigento (Sicily), Italy’s Capital of Culture for 2025, within the evocative setting of the Archaeological Park of the Valley of the Temples, UNESCO World Heritage Site, a place of profound symbolic, cultural, and environmental significance. The event marked the culmination of a journey that began in January with the planting of 21 varieties of olive trees, each native to a different olive-growing country, symbolizing unity and cooperation among nations. The ceremony took place during the international Almond Blossom Festival, which brought together dozens of nations in an atmosphere of sharing and brotherhood. The inauguration was attended by high-ranking institutional, civil, and military officials, including the Mayor of Agrigento, Francesco Miccichè, the Governor of the Rotary District of Sicily and Malta, Giuseppe Pitari, the President of the Rotary Club of Agrigento, Alfonso Lo Zito, representatives of the Archaeological Park, and a large number of citizens, underscoring the importance of this initiative for the local community and the world at large. The ceremony concluded with the solemn lighting of the peace tripod, whose flames symbolized a universal message of harmony and a shared hope for a future of hope and global cooperation.

A garden among history, nature, and universal values 

The Garden of Peace stands in a unique environment, among the majestic almond trees that are the stars of the renowned Almond Blossom Festival, and just a few steps from the Temple of Concordia, one of the best-preserved Doric temples in the world. The garden’s location magnifies its meaning: the olive trees, symbols of peace among nations, standing alongside the blossoming almond trees, emblems of hope and rebirth, while the Temple of Concordia reminds us that only through harmony can a better future be built.

A project of international cooperation 

The result of collaboration between the Rotary Club of Agrigento, the international association The Garden of Peace (TGoP), and the Archaeological Park of the Valley of the Temples, the Garden of Peace is home to 21 varieties of olive trees from as many olive-growing countries. Among them, the Iranian “Zard”, the Palestinian “Nabala Baladi”, the Israeli “Barnea”, the American “Mission”, and the Argentinian “Arauco” grow side by side, demonstrating how diversity represents an opportunity for mutual growth.

A message of peace that transcends borders

The Garden of Peace in the Valley of the Temples joins an international network that already includes gardens in Italy, Spain, Greece, Morocco, and Iran. This initiative aims to spread a message of tolerance, dialogue, and brotherhood through the universal language of nature.

A symbol of hope for the future 

In an era marked by conflict and division, the Garden of Peace is an invitation to reflection and meeting, a place to believe in the possibility of a future of coexistence and mutual understanding.

A heartfelt thank you to the Rotary Club and the Valley of the Temples for believing in this project and making its realization possible. A sincere thanks to all the people who, with commitment and dedication, contributed to the success of this ceremony, and a special thanks also to all the authorities who took part in the inauguration, sharing this special moment with us.

Valley of the Temples, Agrigento—where history, nature, and universal values come together to build a better world.