Venice: San Giuliano Park in Mestre

In the lagoon of Venice there is a park full of green where you can do sport. Don't worry, no one has modified Piazza San Marco or one of the city's campielli (small squares): we're talking about Parco San Giuliano in Mestre. The area is actually located on the mainland, but overlooks the lagoon and is connected to Venice by the nearby Ponte della Libertà bridge. Inaugurated in 2004 thanks to the reclamation works that allowed the municipality of Mestre to recover a large swamp, the huge urban garden extends for about 74 hectares. Since its opening Mestre and Venetians have rediscovered this once abandoned area and take advantage of it every day for sports, picnics and concerts and events. San Giuliano Park in Mestre is in fact used for various events and those with a green thumb and an interest in flora will find many interesting ideas in the park. Inside its huge open spaces, in fact, there are dozens of trees of different origins. From the red maple to the Siberian elm, passing through ash trees, oaks and white hornbeams, each season takes on a different colour thanks to the leaves of these shrubs. There is also a didactic path of the trees of San Giuliano that can be consulted on the internet and in the brochure in the information kiosk. Various types of butterflies, amphibians and birds often make a stop in the small lakes of the area. Two sculptures by the artist Toni Benetton, called respectively "La grande colonna" (The big column) and "Le Anime" (The Souls), are located inside the park. The first, originally presented at the Venice Biennale in 1986, is located near the infopoint and represents a long iron tower. The second, above the hillock, is composed of various strips of cast iron.