Set in the 13th century ruins of the Cistercian monastery of Santa María de la Sierra in the Segovia town of Collado Hermoso, there is a botanical garden that specialises in the cultivation of plants for dyeing, some of which have almost disappeared elsewhere. However, this idyllic spot has more to offer: thanks to the initiative of Elena Goded and her company Ábbatte, the traditional form of artisan weaving with shuttle and loom have a present and a future here. One of the plants that has been recovered is rubia tinctorum (dyer’s madder), which had disappeared from central Spain. The beautiful fabrics woven here are now sold internationally. This initiative, which won a National Craft Award in 2015, was an unexpected turn in the career of Elena Goded, a former biologist and university lecturer.
This event is about the conjunction of nature conservation and the revitalisation of time-honoured craft methods, and is hosted by the cultural manager Sofía Barroso, a specialist in art and gardens.
10-minute break
Experiences of the japanese garden. Sofía Barroso introduces Monty Don
Sofía Barroso introduces a documentary about the Japanese garden that takes us on a journey guided by one of the great specialists on the subject, the writer and journalist Monty Don, who for two decades has presented some of the BBC’s most important programmes on gardens and gardening. In the documentary, Don talks to the photographer Derry Moore about these gardens, which combine ethics and aesthetics, beauty and philosophy, in a celebration of the natural world. The documentary features the great garden of Kenroku-en, the Zen gardens of Tokyo, the historical wonders of Kyoto, and also covers the seasonal celebrations of hanami (visits to the spring cherry blossom) and momijigari, the custom of enjoying the magnificent autumn spectacle of the turning leaves.
