Alii Horti I – From Library to Garden Stage June 29, 2026 / from 7,00 p.m to 9,00 p.m

Photo Credit: Locchi, Nadia and Marussia Yartseff performing Fantasia Notturna in the Teatrino at Villa La Pietra, 1927. [III.A.7.1] ©New York University, The Acton Photograph Archive, Villa La Pietra, Florence

Reservation required : https://events.nyu.edu/event/400069-alii-horti-from-library-to-garden-stage

All tickets are sold out.

Alii Horti is an all female student-led dance performance conceived by Associazione Il Palmerino, through a grant from Calliope Arts Foundation, choreographed by Sophie Robinson (University of Toronto), as a tribute to women connected to the long history of Villa La Pietra. This event is part of a larger three-year initiative ‘The Garden Project’ and included in the Estate Fiorentina 2026.

Drawing on archival research and original musical composition by Artemis Skarmoutsos plus other women composer, it weaves together the stories of five remarkable women who inhabited Villa La Pietra, tracing a lineage of female strength, sacrifice, and devotion to the arts. Historical research, choreography, and musical composition are developed in tandem, with the goal of communicating this story through movement. Woven into the work is the art of Elena Salvini Pierallini, a Florentine multi-medium artist presented with an exhibition at Il Palmerino as a frame that connects the several events in the series “Esplorazioni”.

Choregrapher:

Sophie Robinson

Dancers:

Celia Donoso Clemente, Margaret Dwyer, Camila Recabarren, Ava Renspie, Sophie Robinson

Music Composer:

Artemis Skarmoutsos (Viola)

Other music:

Florence Price. Luise Adolpha Le Beau, Barbara Strozzi

Costume Designer:

Matilda Ponsonby

Interns:

Sarah Drotleff, Camille Malgorn, Ally Ralston

Project Coordinator:

Federica Parretti

The Significant Women Who Lived at Villa La Pietra:

Hortense Mitchell Acton

Hortense was born in 1871 in Chicago, Illinois. She permanently moved to Florence in 1903 after marrying her husband, Arthur Mario Acton. Mrs. Acton acquired the villa after the birth of their sons, Harold and William. Hortense was a passionate traveller, journeying around different Italian cities  and around the world at large. She frequently wrote to her mother about her joy of being in “civilization” during her travels in Italy. She documented her early life in Italy through a photo album, allowing greater insight into her experiences.

Ortensia Capponi Incontri 

Ortensia, born in 1814, inherited the villa in the 19th century. Her family, specifically Piero di Niccolò Capponi, had originally owned the villa since 1545. Ortensia was a strong figure of motherhood. Her mother, Giulia, died giving birth to her. Then Ortensia died at age 29 giving birth to her fifth child.

Maria Maddalena Frescobaldi Capponi

Maria Maddalena, born in 1771, was an educated noblewoman and devoted mother of the famous politician Gino Capponi. She completed her education at 18 years old and studied at a conservatory. Although she was a noblewoman, it is stated that her family aimed to raise their children humbly and contribute to their intellectual and religious growth. She became involved in politics upon her return to Florence in the court of the Grand Duke Ludovico. Maria was very philanthropic as she helped women who were housed in the Hospital for the Incurables, in Bonifazio.

Nera Corsi Sassetti

Nera married Francesco Sassetti in 1458. She gave birth to several children and was therefore seen as a strong family figure. She was buried in the Sassetti Chapel in the Church of S. Trinita in Florence, where she was portrayed as a woman of devotion in the famous fresco by Domenico Ghirlandaio.

Alessandra Macinghi Strozzi

Alessandra was a wealthy woman and a writer born in 1406 in Florence. She was prominent in her family as facilitator of affairs: after her husband’s death in 1435, she managed the family fortune as well as corresponded in letters to her sons while they were in exile to arrange marriages for them. Her identity as a strong family figure is evident in a collection of her letters that represent a “woman who fought stubbornly to preserve her family’s property” (cit. Heather Gregory, Selected Letters of Alessandra Strozzi. University of California Press: 1997) and portray her dedication to her family.