Park of the Caffarella
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The Caffarella Park is a large parkPark
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, protected from development. It is part of the Parco Regionale Appia Antica (Appian Way Regional Park). The park is contained in the Caffarella Valley and is bordered on its northern side by the Via Latina
Via Latina
The Via Latina was a Roman road of Italy, running southeast from Rome for about 200 kilometers.It led from the Porta Latina in the Aurelian walls of Rome to the pass of Mons Algidus; it was important in the early military history of Rome...
and on its southern by the Appian Way
Appian Way
The Appian Way was one of the earliest and strategically most important Roman roads of the ancient republic. It connected Rome to Brindisi, Apulia, in southeast Italy...
. It extends lengthways from the Aurelian Wall up to the Via dell'Almone. It contains several items of archaeological
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
interest, as well as a working farm, and has considerable ecological
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
value, with 78 species of birds and fauna.
In Roman times much of the area was occupied by a large estate known as the Triopius. Herodes Atticus
Herodes Atticus
Lucius Vibullius Hipparchus Tiberius Claudius Atticus Herodes, otherwise known as Herodes Atticus was a very distinguished, rich Greek aristocrat who served as a Roman Senator and a Sophist. He is notable as a proponent in the Second Sophistic by Philostratus.-Ancestry and Family:Herodes Atticus...
was a Greek who became a Roman senator. Through his marriage to Annia Regilla
Aspasia Annia Regilla
Aspasia Annia Regilla, full name Appia Annia Regilla Atilia Caucidia Tertulla , was a wealthy, aristocratic and influential Roman woman, who was a distant relative of several Roman Emperors and Roman Empresses. She was the wife of the prominent Greek Herodes Atticus .-Genealogy:Regilla was born...
he acquired the land of the estate that stretched from the Caffarella Park to the Appian Way. Two ruins in the park date from that time, the tomb of Annia Regilla and the Nympheum of Egeria
Egeria (mythology)
Egeria was a nymph attributed a legendary role in the early history of Rome as a divine consort and counselor of the Sabine second king of Rome, Numa Pompilius, to whom she imparted laws and rituals pertaining to ancient Roman religion...
. Several towers in the park are medieval and served mainly as watch towers.
The name of the park comes from the Caffarelli family, which operated a farm in the area in the 16th Century. It was subsequently owned by the Pallavicini family and the Torlonias. In the mid-20th Century the area was in major danger of being used for urban expansion but was protected and then incorporated into the Appian Way park, following popular campaigns for its preservation.
Major features
- The Nympheum of Egeria. This spring and surrounding construction can be dated back to the middle of the 2nd Century AD by reference to the types of bricks used in its construction. The water springs from the back under a now-headless reclining statue of the god, Almone.
- Tomb of Annia Regilla. This well-preserved building is also known as the Temple of the God Rediculum as scholars erroneously believed that its temple-like appearance meant that it had been build in honour of Rediculum, the God that Romans honoured at the beginning and end of each journey. Designed as a sepulchreSepulchreThe rock-cut tombs in ancient Israel are a group of hundreds of rock-cut tombs constructed in Israel in ancient times. They were cut into the rock, sometimes with elaborate facades and multiple burial chambers. Some are free-standing, but most are caves. Each tomb typically belonged to a...
it is not certain that it is the tomb of Annia Regilla. The construction is of red and yellow brick and there are two floors, with significant remaining external decoration. In the Middle Ages it served as a hay loft for a neighbouring farmhouse.
- Valca Tower. This building is constructed from rectangular blocks of tuffTuffTuff is a type of rock consisting of consolidated volcanic ash ejected from vents during a volcanic eruption. Tuff is sometimes called tufa, particularly when used as construction material, although tufa also refers to a quite different rock. Rock that contains greater than 50% tuff is considered...
and dates back to the 12th or 13th centuries. It was protected by a first wall of defence and a drawbridge. The tower is believed to have been part of a fullingFullingFulling or tucking or walking is a step in woolen clothmaking which involves the cleansing of cloth to eliminate oils, dirt, and other impurities, and making it thicker. The worker who does the job is a fuller, tucker, or walker...
mill.
- Roman cistern. Constructed around 100 AD and originally underground, this cisternCisternA cistern is a waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. Cisterns are often built to catch and store rainwater. Cisterns are distinguished from wells by their waterproof linings...
was exposed when earth moving was carried out for the construction of the nearby Circus of MaxentiusCircus of MaxentiusThe Circus of Maxentius is an ancient structure in Rome, Italy; it is part of a complex of buildings erected by emperor Maxentius on the Via Appia between AD 306 and 312...
. - Columbarium of Constantine. This columbariumColumbariumA columbarium is a place for the respectful and usually public storage of cinerary urns . The term comes from the Latin columba and originally referred to compartmentalized housing for doves and pigeons .The Columbarium of Pomponius Hylas is a particularly fine ancient Roman example, rich in...
, a building for housing the ashes of the deceased, dates back to the 2nd Century AD. During the Middle Ages it was converted into a mill. - The Sacred Wood is a spot on a hill overlooking the valley and with good views of the mountains surrounded Rome and the Castelli RomaniCastelli RomaniThe Castelli Romani is a group of communes in the province of Rome, Italy. They are located at short distance south-east to Rome, at the feet of the Alban Hills.-Overview:...
. According to tradition this is the spot at which Herodes Atticus ordered a sacred wood to be planted. - Church of Sant'Urbano alla CaffarellaChurch of Sant'Urbano alla CaffarellaThe church of Sant'Urbano alla Caffarella is found on the edge of the Caffarella Park in the southeast of Rome. It was originally a Roman temple. In the 10th Century, the structure was modified and consecrated as a church and it was extensively altered in the 17th Century.-History:The original...
. A 7th Century church built over a 2nd Century pagan temple.