The month that ushers in the autumn is ideal for enjoying the charms of this season with events, exhibitions and walks through FAI properties, immersing yourself in the warm colours of special places, fulcrums of balance between man and nature.

In anticipation of the FAI Autumn Days, which will be held on October 14th and 15th  in more than 700 locations throughout Italy, we look forward to seeing you discover our properties over the coming weekends, with a special eye on nature as it transforms itself and its products, because, as the English writer Samuel Butler says, “Autumn is the sweetest season, what we lose in flowers we gain in fruit”.

October is therefore the ideal month to get to know our sites under the magic of foliage, but also through tastings, courtyard markets, walks and special guided tours that make the experience even more stimulating.

VILLA DEI VESCOVI, (LUVIGLIANO DI TORREGLIA – PD)

Would you like to get to know the excellence of the Euganean Hills and celebrate the Veneto culture in all its facets? Surrounded by rows of vines and orchards, Villa dei Vescovi awaits you on 1 October with the now typical “Mercato in corte” (market in the court), a journey to get to know the richness and variety of food and wine products, told by the voices of those who produce them. And on 8 October, the Villa prepares for “Botteghe in scena” (workshops on stage): a day to discover the territory and its master craftsmen: excellent protagonists of savoir-faire. Artisan realities dedicated to the preservation of ancient knowledge and at the same time to the taste for research, combining tradition and innovation to obtain unique products and artefacts, of whose quality they are, themselves, the main ingredient.

CASTELLO DI MASINO, (CARAVINO – TO)

Lose yourself in the large monumental park of the thousand-year-old Castello di Masino, savouring the view of the Ivrea morainic amphitheatre, a unique geological formation dating back millions of years. The park, built around the middle of the 19th century, artfully reproduces a natural environment, with a play of contrasts alternating between drawn lawns and woodland scenes. Here you can spread out a blanket and have a picnic. In addition to the autumn edition of the prestigious “Tre Giorni per il Giardino” (Three Days for the Garden) event, in October we recommend the Conversations at the Castle, an unmissable opportunity to discover details and curiosities hidden among documents, books and objects.

CASTELLO DI AVIO (SABBIONARIA D’AVIO – TN)

Discover Castello di Avio with a guided tour of the majestic circuit of towers and crenellated walls in a fortress complex designed for the strategic control of the Adige Valley. You will discover that it is also home to a lush garden and precious and lively ‘Giottesque’ painting cycles dedicated to love and war. You can have a picnic outdoors or lunch at the castle inn.

CASTELLO DELLA MANTA (MANTA, CN)

Another castle not to be missed is the medieval fortress of severe charm rising against the backdrop of Monviso, the Castello della Manta. Its baronial hall houses one of the most astonishing examples of late Gothic secular painting, inspired by the themes of chivalric novels. Autumn is the ideal season for a trek or a cultural walk to discover the environment and landscape surrounding the site. Discover all the appointments in October at the Castello della Manta!

GIARDINO SUL COLLE DELL’INFINITO (RECANATI – MC) AND BOSCO DI SAN FRANCESCO (ASSISI – PG)

In Autumn, the landscapes of the Marche and Umbria hills light up with warm colours. In Recanati, for example, after a “guided tour inside poetry”, one can go on a discovery tour of the Orto sul Colle dell’Infinito: in the dimension of an ancient hortus conclusus, among fruit trees, cultivated vegetable gardens, aromatic herbs and a panoramic view towards the mountains, it will be possible to awaken one’s senses and appreciate the biodiversity, the botanical curiosities as well as the landscape of this place of peace and quiet that inspired Leopardi’s masterpiece.

In Assisi, on the other hand, head into the Bosco di San Francesco amidst the golden colours of hornbeams, brooms, maples and oak trees: an unspoilt piece of the Umbrian landscape, a place of silence and harmony at the foot of the basilica of St Francis. The day of Sunday 1 October was entirely dedicated to the ancient and forgotten berries and wild fruits that can be encountered along the woodland paths, with a focus on their alimentary and pharmaceutical use. For the occasion, the FAI property was the setting for nature walks and workshops, as well as a pomological exhibition dedicated to the precious local varieties of fruit to learn to observe and recognise.

I GIGANTI DELLA SILA, (SPEZZANO DELLA SILA – CS)

On the Sila plateau, take part in walks in the over 100-year-old forest with over 60 specimens of larch pines and sycamore maples up to 45 metres tall: I Giganti della Sila are a marvel of unquestionable spectacularity that arouses wonder and admiration, especially in autumn when the warm sunlight streaming through the forest paints this hugely valuable natural-historical heritage, a spontaneous environment rich in biodiversity, in bright colours.

GIARDINO DELLA KOLYMBETHRA, (AGRIGENTO, VALLEY OF THE TEMPLES)October is the ideal month for a visit to the Giardino della Kolymbethra, an earthly paradise in the heart of the Valley of the Temples: an extraordinary place that encompasses the colours, flavours and fragrances of the Sicilian land and tells the story of ancient Akragas with its finds and hypogea excavated 2,500 years ago. Stroll among the Mediterranean maquis plants and the citrus fruits ripening on the lemon, mandarin and orange trees. On
Sunday 1 October, ‘A landscape to eat’ allowed visitors to discover the fruits of autumn, with a special focus on prickly pears and pomegranates – present in the Garden – and Bivona peaches, excellence of the province of Agrigento.
A unique experience amidst stories and tastings dedicated to the fruits of the season!