gardens alexander canestrari

The Alessandro Canestrari Gardens are a public park located in the residential neighbourhood of Borgo Milano, one of the most populous areas of Verona. The park is named after Alessandro Canestrari (1925-1944), a young Veronese partisan who died during the Resistance against Nazi-Fascist occupation, whose memory is honoured by a commemorative plaque at the park entrance recalling his sacrifice for freedom. The park extends over several hectares with wide green lawns, tree-lined avenues with centuries-old lime trees and plane trees, equipped playgrounds for children and multipurpose sports courts where people freely play five-a-side football and basketball.

The Canestrari Gardens are the favourite meeting point for families in the neighbourhood, especially at weekends and during fine spring and summer days, when the lawns fill with children playing, people having picnics and groups of friends playing ball. The atmosphere is that of authentic, residential Verona, far from the tourist circuits, where the Veronese live their daily lives among chats between neighbours, walks with dogs and impromptu matches. The park has shaded benches, drinking fountains, public toilets and small areas equipped for outdoor fitness.

During the summer the city occasionally organises events for children, open-air cinema and neighbourhood parties.

Alessandro Canestrari partisan and the dedication of the memorial park

Alessandro Canestrari was born in Verona in 1925 and grew up in the working-class neighbourhood of Borgo Milano. At just 18, after the armistice of 8 September 1943 and the German occupation, he decided to join the Avesani Brigade partisans who operated in the Veronese mountains against Nazis and Fascists. Alessandro took part in several actions of sabotage, weapons recovery and assistance to the Allies.

On 25 April 1944, at just 19, Alessandro was captured by German soldiers during a roundup and immediately shot without trial, as often happened to captured partisans. After the Liberation, the City of Verona decided to name the new public park of Borgo Milano after the memory of the young hero, so that future generations would remember the sacrifice of those who fought for the democratic freedom we take for granted today.

The Canestrari Gardens serve an essential function for the Borgo Milano neighbourhood, offering a public green space where families, children, the elderly and sports enthusiasts can meet and socialise. The play areas are equipped with slides, swings, spring riders and climbing structures, all in compliance with European safety standards and regularly maintained by the city. The multipurpose sports courts with concrete surfaces allow free games of five-a-side football, basketball and volleyball.

There are no reservations or costs: the kids of the neighbourhood meet spontaneously to play, creating that sense of community typical of Italian working-class neighbourhoods. The tree-lined avenues are frequented by runners and cyclists, while the benches under the centuries-old lime trees are the favourite gathering place of the elderly who come to read the newspaper and chat.

During spring and summer, the Canestrari Gardens come alive with initiatives organised by the city and neighbourhood associations: open-air cinema for families, creative workshops for children, amateur sports tournaments and neighbourhood parties with food stalls and live music. These initiatives strengthen the sense of community and allow residents to get to know each other and socialise. The park is also the venue for annual commemorations on 25 April, Liberation Day, when ANPI (the National Association of Italian Partisans) organises a ceremony in front of the commemorative plaque of Alessandro Canestrari with the laying of wreaths, commemorative speeches and the participation of the neighbourhood's primary schools.

These educational moments help new generations to understand the importance of the Resistance and the democratic values won with blood.