In celebrations of the 800th anniversary of the University of Padua, its Botanical Garden offers a series of summer events. Summertime in the Garden links the theme of Freedom, Libera la Natura (Free Nature) by offering the public a ‘live’ viewing of the Botanical Garden and its collection.  Each event shares secrets of the plant world from this unique place and UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The first event welcomes the Orchestra of Padua and Veneto conducted by Marco Angius, in performing the Nocturne K 286 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart among the hortus cinctus of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. For the first time, notes by one of the greatest composers and musicians in history echo through the evening sky among the paths, fountains, and plants of the oldest university botanical garden in the world.

Composed at the end of 1776, Nocturne K 286 is a highly experimental piece that forecasts a style in which Mozart directs the sound heard clockwise or counterclockwise with respect to the audience. The four areas of the garden set the stage in which four orchestral groups perform, each consisting of strings and wind instruments. The division into four symmetrical orchestral groups thus produces a triple echo effect, with the sounds transmitting from one orchestra to another. The naturalistic dimension of the botanical garden will amplify this nocturnal echo on three levels, one offered by the audience, a second by the four orchestras, and a third reflecting the architecture of the gardens and its geometric layout as a united and unique sound. The audience does not merely attend the event; they play a direct role in this immersed multisensory experience.

Online booking is required before the event; tickets can be purchased at the box office (5 euros). Performances are held at 9:30 pm, 10:30 pm, and 11:30 pm.