An accessible and protected space within a public hospital, the first in Italy, dedicated to outdoor rehabilitation activities for patients with neurological disabilities, oncological conditions, and chronic diseases. This is the Rivìtere project, developed by San Luigi Hospital in collaboration with Citiculture and the San Luigi Gonzaga Onlus Association, offering patients a natural environment in which to integrate their therapeutic program with activities related to vine care, movement, independence, and connection.
The therapeutic vineyard, which extends over an area of approximately 900 square meters, is composed of 390 Piwi variety vines (Sauvignon Rytos and Cabernet Volos grapes supplied by Vivai Rauscedo). It also introduces IoT monitoring systems (in collaboration with the startup PlantZCare) and data collection tools, aimed at producing scientific evidence on the value of treatments carried out in a natural environment.
The space is also designed to encourage caregivers and family members to meet and socialise, helping to reduce the isolation of the most vulnerable by placing the care process in an open and shared environment.
The goal, the organizers explain, is to supplement the programs already available at the hospital with activities conducted in a natural environment, closely aligned with everyday experiences. International scientific literature highlights how rehabilitation activities, in the broadest sense of the term, conducted outdoors and in contact with nature can promote functional recovery, psychological well-being, and quality of life, also contributing to greater patient participation in the treatment process. From this perspective, patients will be able to access the vineyard and participate, according to their condition and treatment goals, in activities related to the care and rhythms of the vine, transforming the green space into an additional rehabilitation environment.
"Innovating in healthcare also means imagining new ways of caring for people. Rivìtere brings an environment into the hospital where simple, everyday gestures—movement, caring for something, spending time with others—become part of the care journey. This innovation puts people and their quality of life at the center, aiming to guide them toward a more independent and enriching daily life. In this case, it does so through the vineyard, one of our region's agricultural excellences, symbolizing its value and heritage," stated Piedmont Regional President Alberto Cirio, Vice President Maurizio Marrone, and Health Councilor Federico Riboldi.
"Rivìtere" comprises six high-tech vineyard areas and a sensory area with aromatic varieties and vegetation functional to therapeutic activities and the interaction between patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. The underlying principle of the project is to relocate part of the treatment process outside of traditional spaces, into an environment where patients can engage with actions, stimuli, and relationships that are more closely aligned with real-life situations. Movement, balance, coordination, manual skills, orientation, and independence can thus be practiced through practical activities, nestled in a safe and accessible natural setting. The vineyard thus becomes a new healthcare infrastructure within the hospital grounds and is part of a process that San Luigi has already begun to integrate green spaces into healthcare activities. In May 2026, the new Rehabilitation Garden was inaugurated, an evolution of the historic "open-air gym," designed as a true clinical setting for motor recovery, balance, coordination, independence, and psychological well-being.
"With the therapeutic vineyard, we're continuing a specific path we began with the Rehabilitation Garden: using the hospital's outdoor spaces as places to concretely continue treatment," says Davide Minniti, general director of the San Luigi Gonzaga University Hospital. "The hospital isn't just about the wards, clinics, and rehabilitation gyms. For some patients, returning to physical activity in a real environment, engaging in a concrete activity, and gradually regaining independence and relationships is an important part of the therapeutic journey. The vineyard, at no cost to the hospital thanks to the generosity of its sponsors, adds a new opportunity to this model and reinforces the hospital's commitment to combining clinical effectiveness, humanized care, and a quality care experience."
"San Luigi offers us the opportunity to bring the Citiculture model to a context where the value of the individual is central. The vine has always been a symbol of rebirth and resilience, and the new therapeutic vineyard was created precisely to put nature at the service of well-being, creating a space that accompanies treatment programs and fosters encounters, inclusion, and quality of life. It is the result of a collaboration between different skills and organizations that have chosen to share a common vision: to build places capable of generating value for individuals and the community," says Luca Balbiano, Founder and CEO of Citiculture.
