Fire this morning in Villa Sciarra, the historic park owned by the State property which is located between Trastevere and Monteverde Vecchio.
At about 8.45 am some citizens and volunteers of the "Amici di Villa Sciarra" Association, seeing the flames rise from the entrance to the garden overlooking Via Calandrelli, called the fire brigade.
The cellars of the Casa del Vignaiolo, the old caretaker's house left in use by the State property to the 90-year-old gardener's daughter, burned down.
Carabinieri and firefighters rushed to the scene and managed to put out the flames.
The causes of the fire are still unknown.
Villa Sciarra is a 7-hectare historical park in the heart of Rome, where, once upon a time, the gardens and vineyards of Julius Caesar stood. Possession of the Barberini and Sciarra, it was also the scene of wars in the period of the Roman Republic. The lower part of the Villa, the one that overlooks Via Dandolo and which houses the Syriac Sanctuary (now half-covered by vegetation) and the source of the furrina water (the water, which once formed the sacred lake to the nymph Furrina is now harnessed in a few rusty pipes inside a concrete house), is collapsing. So much so that it has been closed to the public for almost 3 years now. But the Park restoration and restructuring plan, which would have been drawn up about two years ago, cannot start, they explain to the Superintendency, "because the State Property which owns it must first sign to sell the Villa to the Municipality of Rome ". And without this signature, they also insist to the Superintendency," nothing can be done. " Amici di Villa Sciarra ", which has been trying, for 6 years now, to save the park from decay, has renovated various abandoned buildings at its own expense. The sentry box at the entrance to via Calandrelli, reduced for years to a sort of dormitory -public latrine, has been transformed into a small library of suspended books. The wisteria gazebo which had collapsed has been rebuilt. And, again by volunteers, in particular by Mr. Manuel Magazzeni, the ancient pagoda has been completely restored above the entrance to Largo Berchet.Now the volunteers would also like to rearrange the Villa Sciarra play area (two slide turrets have been closed because the steps have become too wet for the rain) and fundraising should start shortly. "Today's fire just didn't take place," explains one of the associates who called the fire brigade to put out the flames. "There had already been two on the other side of the Villa during the summer", he says disconsolately, anticipating, however, another initiative: on 8 December the association will inaugurate the hand-made 'Puppet Theater' , in wood, by one of the volunteers.play area of Villa Sciarra (two slide turrets have been closed because the steps have become too wet for the rain) and fundraising should start shortly. "Today's fire just didn't take place," explains one of the associates who called the fire brigade to put out the flames. "There had already been two on the other side of the Villa during the summer", he says disconsolately, anticipating, however, another initiative: on 8 December the association will inaugurate the hand-made 'Puppet Theater' , in wood, by one of the volunteers.play area of Villa Sciarra (two slide turrets have been closed because the steps have become too wet for the rain) and fundraising should start shortly. "Today's fire just didn't take place," explains one of the associates who called the fire brigade to put out the flames. "There had already been two on the other side of the Villa during the summer", he says disconsolately, anticipating, however, another initiative: on 8 December the association will inaugurate the hand-made 'Puppet Theater' , in wood, by one of the volunteers.another part of the Villa during the summer ", he says disconsolately, anticipating another initiative: on 8 December the association will inaugurate the 'Puppet Theater' made by hand, in wood, by one of the volunteers.another part of the Villa during the summer ", he says disconsolately, anticipating another initiative: on 8 December the association will inaugurate the 'Puppet Theater' made by hand, in wood, by one of the volunteers.
