{"id":1990,"date":"2026-05-10T16:17:27","date_gmt":"2026-05-10T14:17:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.semedifaggio.com\/?p=1990"},"modified":"2026-05-10T16:17:31","modified_gmt":"2026-05-10T14:17:31","slug":"giardino-dei-semplici-in-miasino-medicinal-herbs-biodiversity-and-history-on-lake-orta","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.semedifaggio.com\/en\/giardino-dei-semplici-in-miasino-medicinal-herbs-biodiversity-and-history-on-lake-orta\/","title":{"rendered":"Giardino dei Semplici in Miasino: medicinal herbs, biodiversity and History on Lake Orta"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Giardino dei Semplici in Miasino<\/strong> is a garden of medicinal and aromatic herbs<\/strong> located in the village of Miasino, on the hills overlooking Lake Orta<\/strong> in Piedmont. With around 100 botanical species<\/strong>, it is an open space dedicated to the knowledge of medicinal plants, local biodiversity and the recovery of traditional herbal wisdom. Yes, that very Miasino that looks like it fell off a postcard, with its quiet lanes and the church of San Rocco standing tall above the rooftops \u2014 as if to say: “even nature here likes to be admired from above”.<\/p>\n

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From Biblical Herb Garden to Giardino dei Semplici: a very Italian story<\/h2><\/h2>\n\n

It all begins in 2009<\/strong>, when the Consorzio Pro Loco Lago d’Orta, backed by funds from the Interreg Italy-Switzerland 2007-2013<\/strong> programme, decides to create the Orto della Bibbia \u2014 a Biblical Herb Garden. The idea? Fascinating and ever so slightly wishful: to plant the botanical species mentioned in the Scriptures. There was just one small snag \u2014 the Piedmontese climate is not exactly the Holy Land’s. But then, in Italy we do love to aim for the stars and sort out the landing later.<\/p>\n\n

For five years, fuelled by grants and volunteers, the garden survived. Then, in 2014, came the cold shower: the Consorzio could no longer manage the project. It looked like the end \u2014 a classic “lower the curtain and go home” moment.<\/p>\n\n

But no. In 2015<\/strong> the Municipality of Miasino signed an agreement with the Istituto Agrario Fobelli di Crodo<\/a>. Students and professor Giancarlo Fantini rolled up their sleeves: they cleared weeds, removed overgrown trees and rescued whatever could be saved. From the ruins of a failed biblical project, a garden of aromatic and medicinal herbs<\/strong> was born \u2014 one that would become one of the most authentic spots on Lake Orta.<\/p>\n\n

Albert Husband: the guardian with a green thumb (and an enigmatic smile)<\/h2>\n
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Picture a modern-day druid with expert hands and the patience of a medieval botanist. Albert Husband<\/a> knows every plant by name, recounting its history and healing properties with disarming ease. Thanks to his passion, the Giardino dei Semplici<\/strong> has become a true biodiversity oasis<\/strong>, where around 100 medicinal species<\/strong> thrive under the Piedmontese sun \u2014 including a few that seemed to have taken a wrong turn on the map, only to decide they rather liked it here.<\/p>\n\n

As Albert himself puts it: “Nature teaches us that there is always the possibility of rebirth.” Hard to argue with that.<\/p>\n\n

A journey through scents and colours: the plants you wouldn’t expect<\/h2>\n\n

Walking along the well-kept paths, you sink into an atmosphere of quiet and harmony. The intense fragrances of lavender, rosemary, mint and sage fill the senses. Every plant is labelled with its botanical name and properties.<\/p>\n\n

But the real stars are what I like to call the “brave” plants: those that, thanks to a truly special microclimate, survive Piedmontese winters as if it were nothing at all.<\/p>\n\n

The most surprising species in the garden<\/h3>\n\n