Patients from Monaco’s Unité de Psychiatrie et de Psychologie Médicale (UPPM) ‘La Roseraie’ facility have completed a four-day therapeutic immersion, running from 2nd October to 5th October at the Tenuta Sant’Egidio estate in Soriano nel Cimino, combining psychiatric care with outdoor and art therapy.
The initiative was supported by the Association de Bienfaisance Eugenio Benedetti Gaglio, a Monaco-based association that has long backed local psychiatric programmes. The participants were accompanied throughout the stay by Dr. Frédéric Comparon, head of the UPPM, and art therapist Monica Di Rocco.
Organisers said that the trip served as a complementary psychosocial rehabilitation activity designed to foster socialisation and personal autonomy alongside ongoing clinical treatment.
Outdoor activities and creative workshops
Hosted by the GEA association—managed by Azzurra Benedetti Gaglio and Dr. Gianfranco Pisa, whose scientific backgrounds integrate biodiversity and environmental observation into the estate—the group participated in structured outdoor activities.
These included walks in the UNESCO-listed beech forest of Monte Cimino, visits to Soriano nel Cimino during its traditional Chestnut Festival, and creative sessions led by Monica Di Rocco. Utilising elements such as trees, soil, and beehives, participants engaged in artistic expression, including working with clay to replicate local animal tracks.
Medicine, nature, and clinical boundaries
Medical professionals emphasised that the retreat was structured to allow nature, art, and psychiatric care to work alongside and interact with one another rather than serving as a replacement for medical treatment. Specialists said that while current scientific evidence regarding nature-based interventions is strongest for symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress, care must remain tailored to individual psychiatric and psychological conditions, avoiding broad generalisations across different diagnoses.
Accommodation and unique discoveries
Beyond daytime activities, participants stayed in fully equipped tents on the estate, experiencing overnight immersion in natural surroundings. The grounds also feature historical and cultural points of interest, including buildings restored using stones from ancient monasteries and a 1:3-scale marble reproduction of Empress Cixi’s Chinese Imperial Boat, donated by the Chinese government. These elements are designed to stimulate curiosity and interrupt everyday routines.
Towards an annual programme
Following the conclusion of the four-day pilot, medical staff and association organisers are exploring the possibility of establishing the Tenuta Sant’Egidio retreat as an annual fixture. Repeating the initiative would allow teams to observe over time what structured nature-based experiences contribute to perceived well-being, socialisation, and the long-term autonomy of patients within a rigorous clinical pathway.
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Patients from ‘La Roseraie’ facility standing in front of a 1:3-scale marble reproduction of Empress Cixi’s Chinese Imperial Boat. Main photo credit: GEA