L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 6 NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS 29,000 hectares of culti- vated land. Its global foot- print is also significant: Italy i s t h e s e c o n d - l a r g e s t exporter in Europe and third worldwide, after the Netherlands and Colombia. Exports in 2023 totaled over €1.2 billion (approxi- mately $1.3 billion), secur- ing 5.2 percent of global market share. The country maintained a positive trade balance, with a surplus of a r o u n d € 3 1 5 m i l l i o n (roughly $ 3 4 0 m i l l i o n ). K e y e x p o r t d e s t i n a t i o n s include France (22.2%), the Netherlands (18.2%), G e r m a n y ( 1 5 . 8 % ) , Switzerland (4.8%), and t h e U n i t e d K i n g d o m (3.7%). I t ' s b e e n p r o d u c t i o n capacity, along with regional s p e c i a l i z a t i o n a n d l o n g - standing expertise, that have positioned Italy as a key sup- plier in the international flo- ral market. Each region con- tributes its own strengths: L i g u r i a , particularly the Albenga plain, is known for its outdoor cultivation of c u t f l o w e r s a n d h a s l o n g been a hub for both tradi- tional and export-oriented g r o w i n g . T u s c a n y , a n d especially the Pistoia area, i s t h e n a t i o n a l l e a d e r i n nursery plant production, w i t h a t u r n o v e r r e a c h i n g €816 million (around $881 million) – thanks to a dense concentration of family-run nurseries and sophisticated l o g i s t i c a l i n f r a s t r u c t u r e . Campania has established itself in the production of greenhouse flowers, offering y e a r - r o u n d o u t p u t , w h i l e Lombardy plays a key role i n t h e o r n a m e n t a l p l a n t trade, supplying a wide vari- ety of species to domestic and foreign buyers. In the south, Sicily and Puglia focus on Mediter- r a n e a n f l o r a a n d p o t t e d plants: Sicily, in particular, is Europe's leading producer of potted citrus, combining centuries-old agricultural know-how with a growing interest in export diversifica- tion. These regional dynam- ics give the sector flexibility and resilience, allowing pro- ducers to serve both high- volume international mar- kets and niche decorative or ceremonial uses. This geographical distrib- ution reflects a larger reali- ty: floriculture in Italy is as much a matter of microcli- mate and soil, as it is of tra- dition and trade. And while Euroflora may offer a curat- ed snapshot, the real work h a p p e n s y e a r - r o u n d , i n greenhouses, nurseries, and distribution centers spread across the country: the plan- ning cycles are long, weather risks are real, and logistics r e m a i n c o m p l e x , y e t t h e sector continues to innovate, with advances in pest con- trol, water efficiency, and plant hybridization allowing Italy to maintain high-quali- ty output despite growing international competition. But the value of flowers in I t a l y e x t e n d s f a r b e y o n d markets and spreads into streets, rituals, and public memory. Nowhere is this more visible than in the cen- turies-old tradition of the infiorate – floral carpets painstakingly arranged for religious celebrations, par- ticularly the feast of Cor- pus Domini. The custom began in 17th-century Rome, where florists and artisans like Benedetto Drei deco- r a t e d c h u r c h f l o o r s w i t h petal mosaics during major feast days. Influenced by the baroque taste for spectacle and symbolism, the practice spread to towns in Lazio and other regions, evolving into a form of temporary public a r t t h a t m i x e d s a c r e d imagery with local iconogra- phy. Today, infiorate remain e x p r e s s i o n s o f r e l i g i o u s devotion but are also com- munity events that call for c o o r d i n a t i o n , c r a f t s m a n - ship, and large quantities of fresh, local flowers, often s o u r c e d f r o m t h e s a m e growers who supply Italy's commercial floriculture sec- tor. S o m e i n f i o r a t e h a v e become nationally recog- n i z e d f o r t h e i r s c a l e a n d consistency. In Genzano di Roma, where the tradition h a s b e e n r e c o r d e d s i n c e 1778, a 2,000-square-metre floral carpet is laid along Via I t a l o B e l a r d i e v e r y J u n e . The event draws between 50,000 and 100,000 visitors annually. In Spello, a hill town in Umbria, locals pre- pare year-round for a 1.5- kilometre procession route entirely covered in floral art. Here too, the festival attracts crowds of up to 100,000. In Noto, Sicily, the infiorata unfolds against a baroque architectural backdrop on Via Nicolaci, where elabo- rate scenes stretch across a 1 2 2 - m e t r e - l o n g c a r p e t o f petals. Visitor numbers reg- ularly exceed 100,000. While religious in origin, these events play an increas- i n g l y v i s i b l e r o l e i n l o c a l economies, because of their r o l e i n b o o s t i n g t o u r i s m , supporting flower producers, and sustaining intergenera- tional skills in floral arrange- m e n t a n d c o l l a b o r a t i v e design. Volunteers, florists, students, and artisans often work side by side in prepara- t i o n , a n d t h e d e m a n d f o r specific flowers – selected not only for color but also for structure and durability – translates into seasonal upticks for regional suppli- ers. Many local authorities now actively support these events as part of their broad- e r c u l t u r a l a n d e c o n o m i c development strategies. F a r f r o m b e i n g s i m p l y decorative gestures, these are annual exercises in civic identity, rooted in tradition but still responsive to the present. As such, the infio- rate are a good example of the connection between the country's artisanal history and its ongoing floricultural economy, because their suc- c e s s d e p e n d s n o t o n l y o n creative vision but on the availability of well-cultivated flowers, consistent supply c h a i n s , a n d t h e k i n d o f regional expertise that Italy has developed over genera- tions. Italy's relationship with flowers sits solidly at the crossroads between agricul- ture, culture and public life. It is present in export statis- tics and trade fairs, but also in quiet gestures – balconies draped with blooms, piazzas transformed into colorful canvases, and local festivals shaped around the cycles of nature. That's why flowers r e m a i n p a r t o f h o w I t a l y expresses itself: precise, sea- s o n a l , c o l l a b o r a t i v e , a n d rooted in place. The floricultural sector includes more than 27,000 businesses, and employs around 100,000 people. Italy is the second-largest exporter of flowers and plants in Europe and third worldwide, after the Netherlands and Colombia CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 The infiorata in Genzano, where almost 350.000 petals are used every edition (Photo: Alessandro0770/Dreamstime)

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