We asked some questions to Tiziano Fratus, poet and writer, father of the definition of Homo radix, who spoke at the “Real Verde” (Royal Green) event organized by the Federico II Foundation and the Sicilian Regional Assembly, in the Royal Gardens of the Royal Palace, in collaboration with Legambiente Sicily, the Botanical Gardens of Palermo, the University of Palermo and the University Museum System. The occasion of his visit to the city is the opening of the Royal Gardens of the Royal Palace to the city and to Sicily.
Tiziano Fratus, what can trees teach to Politics?
“To put down long roots. The great scholars said that, in the end, the path develops only when one has planted great roots and it becomes almost automatism, an instinct. It is important to put down good roots and then everything else will come by itself. Trees know the discipline that is a value that can be interpreted in a variety of ways but which, still, can give a lot to human beings. It seems to me, unfortunately, that politics, perhaps not so much at the regional level, but at the national one, at this moment in history would need discipline and humility. Another lesson that ancient trees can offer is precisely that of humility. Every day, every moment the trees cohabit with the danger of not existing anymore and they do it with great intelligence”.
What are the sensations and emotions that you had breathing the air of this Garden?
“This garden has a close link with those of Palermo because of the presence of the essences that can be seen in other gardens. As if there were a large divided and distributed forest that is a little magic and the sensational element is both the presence of the hybrid architecture of the Palace but the most interesting aspect, at least regarding the trees and vegetation, is this meeting , this marriage between the great Pine and the great Ficus that have been embracing, now for some decades, and this is unique. There are very few cases of this around Italy. A fortuitous, curious meeting that contradicts a bit the beliefs that we have when talking about nature and trees”.
Will we be able to learn from the trees the ability to be silent, to listen, to truly manage to accept the other without prejudices?
“Actually in this age because the great ideologies are shipwrecked and weakened, spirituality, on the one hand, and a great desire for nature, on the other, have returned to be two very widespread visions. It is a moment in which, even at the editorial level, we are witnessing an explosion of works that have to do with nature, with trees, with gardens and with healing. The same is true also on the artistic level and is an encouraging and, in some ways, reassuring signal. All this ferment characterizes our age; where with the disappearance of ideologies, nature, spirituality and religion are once again our welcoming visions”.
Courtesy translation Elettra La Duca