La Conserva della Neve celebra i frutti della natura (The Snow Conservation celebrates the fruits of nature)

On September 19 and 20, 2026, La Conserva della Neve (The Snow Conservation), a historic gardening fair and market, returns to Rome's Botanical Garden. Now in its 21st year, the event is one of the most anticipated events for nature and greenery enthusiasts, continuing to showcase the world of plants through a journey that unites culture, research, beauty, and sustainability.

For two full days, the wonderful setting of the Botanical Garden, thanks to the event, is transformed into a vast garden to explore, where nurserymen from all over Italy, collectors, and specialized producers present to the public rare plants, unusual varieties, and everything needed to enhance gardens, terraces, and balconies.

This year's main theme is Fruits, presented as a fundamental element of biodiversity, a food resource that has accompanied human history for millennia, but also as a source of artistic inspiration, a cultural symbol, and a testimony to a heritage worth exploring and preserving.

The program is enriched by a packed schedule of conferences, meetings, and presentations, during which scholars, agronomists, and specialists guide the public in discovering the infinite connections between botany, history, landscape, and nutrition. Among the most significant events is the presentation of the donation of 496 volumes from the library of Viru Viraraghavan, the renowned breeder of rose hybrids, which his wife, Girija Viraraghavan, is donating to the Sapienza Botanical Garden. This event, of great cultural and scientific importance, will be attended by the Director of the Botanical Garden, Professor Fabio Attorre, Maria Cristina Leonardi, Gloria Viero, and Girija Viraraghavan herself, in the presence of numerous experts, rose growers, and enthusiasts from across Italy.

The Botanical Garden's Orangery also hosts a rich and varied program of meetings. On Saturday morning, Isabella Dalla Ragione leads the audience in the lecture Wonderful and Joyful Fruit Trees: Species and Varieties of Fruit Trees, Between Beauty and Utility in Orchards and in the City, while Giulio Leonardi of the Orvieto Fruit Nursery Company presents the lecture Native Fruits of Lazio. Following this, in the afternoon, Paolo Scotto presents Knowledge and Flavors: Ancient Fruits in Papal Cuisine between the Renaissance and Baroque. On Sunday, after the ceremony dedicated to the donation of the Viraraghavan Library and the presentation of the book Eighty-eight years old by Vittorio Ducrot with Enrico Ducrot, the event concludes in the afternoon with a talk by Alberta Campitelli dedicated to Beauty and Productivity in Roman Gardens.

The event is also a family experience. Visitors, young and old, can participate in creative workshops organized at Luana Firmani's stand, dedicated to the ancient Japanese artistic techniques of Shibori, a traditional dyeing technique achieved by tying fabrics together before immersing them in color, and Suminagashi, the fascinating "floating ink" technique, which allows for the creation of unique compositions by making ink dance on water before transferring it to paper.

Engaging activities, open to all ages, are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at 10:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Alongside the workshops, the Kapla stand's play area offers wooden games and activities for children, making the event an opportunity for discovery and fun for the whole family. Guided tours of the Botanical Garden, led by specialized staff, are also available on both days. Starting from the Cavallerizza area, the tours offer insights into the history of Villa Corsini, the main botanical collections, and the research, conservation, and outreach activities that characterize one of Italy's most important university botanical gardens.

Finally, there's a dedicated space for culinary delights, courtesy of PDP Catering, which offers a different menu each day, inspired by the aromatic herbs featured among the exhibitors and made exclusively with completely recyclable materials, in keeping with the event's sustainable philosophy. Two days to immerse yourself in nature, be inspired by the beauty of the plant world, and rediscover, through the theme of fruit, the close relationship between botany, culture, history, and landscape.