Casale della Vaccareccia in Rome to become dairy and exhibition space

The Casale della Vaccareccia, a 16th-century farm complex in Rome's Parco della Caffarella, will undergo a €6.5 million restoration starting in 2024. The project, part of a systematic city effort to reclaim public assets, will transform the site into a multifunctional space combining agricultural production (cheese-making) with cultural and educational facilities. The complex, built in 1547 by the Caffarelli family and later owned by the Pallavicini and Torlonia families, was expropriated in 2005 but only acquired by the municipality in 2016. The restoration includes the main casale, Torre, Stalla grande, and Fienile, preserving original features while adding modern amenities: a dairy with shop, conference room, guesthouse with four rooms, educational classrooms, playroom, reading room, ice cream bar, and temporary exhibition spaces in the Stalla piccola. Outdoor improvements include repaving the terrace, creating flowerbeds, educational gardens, benches, bike racks, and a rest area. The project follows the model of the recently reopened Casale dei Cedrati in Villa Pamphilj, which combines public-private partnerships for cultural, environmental, and social activities. City councillor Sabrina Alfonsi emphasized the replicable model for other sites to develop local food production. The Casale della Vaccareccia sits within the Parco Regionale dell'Appia Antica, a historic parkland.