Roma's historic marble workshop reopens as cultural hub L'Opificio Italiacamp

A historic marble workshop in Rome's Marconi district, known for crafting floors for St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, Westminster Abbey, and the Getty Museum, has been transformed into a new cultural and educational space called L'Opificio Italiacamp. The 2,000-square-meter facility (800 outdoors) was closed since 2022 and underwent a €5 million urban regeneration project led by architecture firm Lococo. After two years of restoration, the property is now valued at nearly €7 million. The conservation-focused design preserved original marbles and plasters, including an 18th-century slab with the coat of arms of Pope Clement XII and a table made of extinct African marble. Materials left on site—marble slabs, monolithic blocks, and fragments—were reused for new palladiana floors alongside original pavements. Architect Carlo Lococo stated, 'Nothing was lost. Every fragment, every detail has been recovered and transformed, in a continuous dialogue between memory, sustainability and innovation.' The project is part of broader revitalization of the Marconi area, which includes the Teatro India, Parco Tevere Marconi, the future State Archives in former Air Force warehouses, and the redevelopment of the former Mira Lanza factory by Roma Tre University. L'Opificio Italiacamp director Elisabetta Pessano said the space aims to contribute to the area's transformation by creating an open, dynamic venue in dialogue with the territory.