The San Giovanni Park was established in 1908 as the site of the Civic Hospital and has become an extraordinary place of history and culture and a testimony to transformation, openness and integration. In 1924 it became the Provincial Psychiatric Hospital, and from 1971 to 1978 it was the driving force behind the revolutionary reform driven by Franco Basaglia, culminating in the approval of Italian Law No 180/1978.

After years of neglect, today the park houses the headquarters of several departments and offices of the University of Trieste, public bodies, health facilities and services, social cooperatives and associations, a 270-seat theatre also equipped for outdoor performances, science museums, spaces dedicated to games and sports activities, rose gardens, century-old trees, and green spaces and flower beds. The park is always open and can be visited by the general public.

The park has become a lively microcosm thanks to the collaboration between the University of Trieste, the local health authority (ASUGI – Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Giuliano Isontina), the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, the regional agency in charge of cultural heritage (ERPAC – Ente Regionale Patrimonio Culturale) and the Municipality of Trieste. These institutions redesigned the park and restored its buildings and are still committed today to maintaining the common green areas, promoting cultural initiatives that encourage public participation, disseminating and sharing knowledge, including vulnerable people and protecting the city’s environmental and architectural heritage.
The Park's philosophy is rooted in sustainability, social commitment, togetherness and mutual support.

The University of Trieste collaborates in the planning and execution of the cultural event Rose libri musica vino (roses, books, music, wine), which has been promoted and organised by the social cooperative Agricola Monte San Pantaleone since 2011.

The event is held every year on Fridays in May and involves dozens of lecturers, researchers and researchers in the realisation of meetings with personalities from the world of culture and walks to discover botanical and ornithological species, artistic-architectural peculiarities and the history of psychiatry.

A collaboration between the University of Trieste and the sustainable accessory workshop Lister Sartoria Sociale also takes place in the San Giovanni Park. It is a partnership formed with creativity and environmental sustainability in mind, through which PVC banners used to advertise events organised by the University are transformed into bags, backpacks, pencil cases and other accessories with the logo of the University and the accessory workshop. The proceeds from their sales are reinvested in the cooperative to ensure both the continuation of production and the employment of staff. The University also collects advertising posters from the municipality and other research organisations and delivers them to the accessory workshop for new creations, setting in motion a positive cycle of recycling and reducing PVC disposal costs.