In the 14th century, with the arrival of Humanism, the word opera began to be used to refer to the work of art.
In this denomination, horticulture was also included, and one of these operas were citrus fruits.
Citrus in the Arts
For Vicente Todolí, it was a revelation to discover that the Medici family, as early as 1550, began collecting citrus fruits as if they were works of art, and even brought specialists from Valencia to design and care for their gardens. Those first citrus gardens in Florence were not merely botanical spaces, but true aesthetic settings where science, nature, and art coexisted in harmony.
In the fifteenth century, with the rise of Humanism, the word opera began to be used to refer to a work of art. Within that concept, horticultural creations were also included — and among them, citrus fruits held a special place. Cultivating and collecting exotic varieties became an expression of knowledge, sensibility, and power. The fruits, admired for their rarity, fragrance, and beauty, became symbols of perfection and refinement, both in gardens and in the visual and decorative arts.
From that same root arises Todolí Citrus Fundació’s desire to explore and share the world of citrus beyond the orchard: extending its research and collection to include their presence throughout the history of art, where these fruits continue to bear witness to the human fascination with their beauty and power of seduction.
Todolí Citrus Fundació has a strong link with contemporary art, which is present in different areas of the Foundation’s facilities, most of them being works that the Foundation has received as donations from renowned contemporary artists, among them: Silvia Bachli, Miroslaw Balka, Lothar Baumgarthen, Xu Bing, Carmen Calvo, Mauricio Cattelan, Joan Jonas, Attilio Maranzano, Cildo Meireles, Antoni Miralda, Juan Muñoz, Nicolás Ortigosa, Jorge Peris, Jurgen Schadeberg, Alessandra Spranzi, Juan Uslé, …
Every September, Todolí Citrus Fundació opens its orchard to the most experimental and innovative cinema with Cine de Vanguardia en el Jardín, an annual open-air screening programme curated by independent programmer Andrea Franco.
The project was created with the aim of offering an artistic and aesthetic experience in dialogue with the citrus garden of the Foundation. Each year it presents a selection of films rarely found in conventional circuits, often closer to the field of contemporary art and experimental visual practices.
Poecítrics is a festival that highlights the value of our landscape through the memory of the land and the word. Organized jointly by Todolí Citrus Fundació and Francisco Brines Fundació, it gives life to a project that is developed in a space with a great landscape value as El Bartolí and starred, among others, by the poems of Francisco Brines.
Subscription to our newsletter
We will keep you informed of events, news and other activities that we carry out at Todoli Citrus Fundació.
