A field in which 40 different species of plants, medicinal herbs and organic apples grow, where before there was only corn and potatoes. Bought using the savings of a lifetime and brought to life with countless sacrifices plus a vast amount of dedication and effort. A herbarium which is also a space for forest-scented workshops and events, an Alpine botanical garden at 2,000 m above sea level where edelweiss grow and thrive in their ideal habitat, a specialist herb shop in which all these marvels of the earth come in the form of creams, ointments, essences and herbal teas all available in beautiful carefully-finished packaging and finally, a little jewel allowing visitors to experience rural life first hand. Just on the outskirts of Belluno, this is Naturalpina, Alice Pedon’s multifaceted project and dream, which she has been fortunate enough to create. Born in Padua, Alice began her professional career in fashion, while constantly keeping a passion for the mountains in her heart. When she decided to start a family with her husband, a yachtsman from Belluno with the sea in his veins, her dream began to take shape. So little by little their three children arrived, they started cultivating the field, they created a building from scratch and, not least, they studied hard and learned in-depth about Alpine plants and how to transform them, while constantly maintaining a strong bond with their place of origin, not to mention the profound and sincere lessons that the mountains offer to those who know how to listen to them.
Alice, what have the mountains taught you, both in your work and in your life?
For me the mountains have always represented a source of profound principles and authenticity. As a result of their somewhat remote location and difficult accessibility, they also represent a series of values that have been lost elsewhere due to the frenzy of contemporary life. For me, they have always been a safe and secure home in a beautiful setting. Here, we only work with ingredients grown by us from scratch and linked to the area, so that the people who come to visit us understand that Nature always sends us important messages. We are interested in returning to how thing used to be done, working in synergy with the natural environment, with simplicity. We only use what is there and only do what we can.
Alice, what do you think is the secret of this place you have created and the products you make?
Here you can breathe a sense of calm and peace, like in the mountains. Here it is wonderful to be able to follow the rhythm of the seasons, because you learn the value of patience. It is always you who has to adapt to the timescales of Nature; crops only arrive once a year, you have to be the one to follow Nature, never vice versa. And by using these natural products, it is possible to feel a sense of contact and connection with nature.
How did you develop the carefully crafted aesthetics of this project?
From an early age, my father taught me to observe details and as a result I became very precise, sometimes even obsessive. Certainly my experience in fashion (I worked in a style office for luxury brands and also dealt with management aspects), trips abroad to Nordic countries and my passion for English gardening have influenced me in the style choices I make today. Nature is also a great inspiration, because if you want to try and convey a certain idea of well-being, you will find all the tones and colours you need already there in Nature.
What ideas of the mountains are you passing on to your children?
Our children absorb the mountains through the experience of what we do, they follow us when we go up to the Alpine garden and experience this environment in the most educational way there is, that is, sacrifice. For me it is important that they understand that achieving your goals is difficult, but if you believe in it, by taking small steps and making lots of sacrifices, everything is possible. And when we're up there at 1,800 m, it's amazing to see what the children come up with to pass the time. They need to have the opportunity to get bored in order to stimulate creativity. We often find them building a hut or trying to make a fire. Obviously, we dedicate our (little) free time to them, and when we can, we try to experience the mountains in their truest and most essential sense. We sleep in mountain huts, we do winter sports and we try to make them understand that the mountains are never a simple experience, that with their harshness and their beauty you should always treat them with respect.
Do you have a favorite season?
Every season is incredibly striking, but Nature's absolute opulence is Autumn, a continuous gift of incredible things like berries and late blooming plants which for me, are magnificent ingredients in providing energy before Winter. The autumnal colours are also incredible. I think of the softness of the larch branches which make you feel like you could sleep in them; then there’s the wind that moves the leaves and gives a marvellous sense of well-being; finally there’s the first snowfall that begins to cover the woods... So, even if it brings a certain bittersweet melancholy, I would say that my favourite season is Autumn.
What do you always have in your backpack?
A pair of scissors, a cloth bag and a pair of boots. Basically, everything I need to make what I see in the woods accessible. In every little corner, you might find some wonderful unexpected surprise.
