Vineyards and Towers: The history of Rome's Caffarella Valley
While the center of Rome can be hectic and claustrophobic, it only takes a short bus ride (30 minutes, to be exact) to reach the Caffarella Valley, a beautifully preserved park that maintains some characteristics of the historically romanticized campagna romana (Roman countryside). Sandwiched between the ancient roads Via Appia and Via Latina, the valley is named after the Caffarelli family, who ruled over and cultivated the land during the 16th century. The picture below shows the Cafferelli family estate. Located along the Almone River, the complex was described as the vigna di Cafferelli, or Cafferelli vineyards, in the Mappa della Campagna romana al tempo di Paolo III by Eufrosino della Volpaia (1547). Going back to the Middle Ages, however, this area was not a serene vineyard. In the middle of the complex, there is a tufa block tower that protrudes from the building. This tower has been dated to the 13th century, thus, the Cafferelli family must have built their residence around the preexisting tower. In fact, this tower is one of five towers that were built along the Almone River by feuding baron families who were staking claims to the surrounding countryside. During the 13th century, as seen in Cola di Rienzo, the political families in and around Rome were constantly feuding with each other for control of resources and political hegemony. The foundation of another tower, The Valca Tower, can be found a couple of kilometers upstream from the one that was incorporated into the Cafferelli estate. Although the campagna romana has been romanticized throughout history, during the Middle Ages it was a site for political maneuvering and violent confrontations between the baron families that jostled for power in Rome.
Almagia, Roberto. “The Repopulation of the Roman Campagna.” The American Geographical Review 19, no. 4 (1929): 529-555. http://jstor.org/ (accessed May 13, 2015). Richard Krautheimer. Rome: Profile of a City, 312-1308. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2000. Rossetti, Caterina. “Itinerary 4: The Caffarella Valley.” Parco Regionale dell’Appia Antica. http://www.parcoappiaantica.it/en/pdf/itinerario4.pdf (accessed May 13, 2015).
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