Torrecchia Vecchia's Foundation

INSPIRING THROUGH NATURE: THE CULTURAL AND RECREATIONAL HUB OF TORRECCHIA VECCHIA

The Cultural and Recreational Hub of Torrecchia Vecchia
The Cultural and Recreational Hub of Torrecchia Vecchia extends over more than 500 hectares within the Municipality of Cisterna di Latina, inside the "Torrecchia Vecchia" Natural Monument established by the Lazio Region through D.P.G.R. of 21 June 2007, no. T0430, and entrusted to the management of the Torrecchia Vecchia Foundation ODV. It is a landscape of exceptional natural and historical significance, where woodlands, pastures, gorges, tufa outcrops, caves, rural buildings, medieval ruins, and a renowned English garden of international standing coexist.
The Hub offers the public a comprehensive program of visits, educational activities, seminars, cultural events, and wellness experiences, in line with the statutory purposes of the Foundation — a Third Sector entity registered with RUNTS pursuant to Legislative Decree 117/2017.
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The English Garden
The landscape heart of the estate, the English garden of Torrecchia Vecchia unfolds within the ancient medieval castrum and its immediate surroundings — near the ruins of the old church and the ancient bridge — combining historic architecture, botanical collections, and striking views. Currently undergoing a restoration and expansion project funded by PNRR resources, the garden is open to the public primarily through guided tours.
The garden regularly hosts delegations from leading Italian and international institutions, including the Royal Horticultural Society, the Mediterranean Garden Society, the Italian Parks and Gardens Association (APGI), and the Italian Environmental Fund (FAI), as well as landscape architects, university researchers, and journalists specialized in landscape design.
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The Historical and Archaeological Heritage
‍The estate preserves a rich heritage of historical and archaeological assets of considerable value: the medieval castrum, the ruins of the old church, the ancient stone bridge, the caves carved into the tufa, and the rural cores of the former agricultural village predating 1967. These elements — protected by the Regional Landscape Plan as "point and linear assets bearing witness to archaeological and historical features" — form the narrative thread of the Hub's cultural visits and are, in part, the focus of restoration and enhancement projects funded by PNRR resources.

Forest and Nature Trails
Access to the estate's woodlands and forests is organized along four pedestrian circuits: the Colle Rosso Circuit, the Pantanelle Circuit, the Perazzeto Circuit, and the Boschetto di Camillozzo Circuit. Connected to one another and to the Hub's main sites, these circuits allow for immersive nature excursions — on foot, on horseback, or by electric vehicle — accompanied by Foundation staff. Complementing the offering, a network of tunnels and tufa caves is currently being enhanced, two former manure pits are being transformed into educational bio-lakes, and an orchard of heritage cultivars is being planted as part of the Lazio Region's "Bando Ossigeno" call for proposals.

Cultural, Educational, and Outreach Activities
The Foundation runs a steady program of activities organized along several parallel tracks. Guided tours of the English garden, the medieval ruins, and the forest circuits are offered to individual visitors, organized groups, and Italian and foreign associations. Educational activities with school groups of all levels are dedicated to the discovery of the landscape, biodiversity, and historical heritage of the Natural Monument. Seminars, conferences, and study days address topics in botany, landscape, garden architecture, and environmental conservation, aimed at scholars, professionals, and interested members of the public. Environmental observation and research is carried out in collaboration with research institutions and universities in Italy and abroad.
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The offering is rounded out by musical and theatrical events also organized in partnership with the Municipality of Cisterna di Latina — including the performance "Cisterna delle meraviglie. Torrecchia Vecchia e il fantasma di Beatrice Cenci," which brought to life the historical and literary echoes tied to the estate — as well as scheduled cultural visits open to APGI and FAI members.

Wellness Activities and Connection with Nature
Complementing the cultural program, the Foundation promotes activities dedicated to an immersive relationship with nature, in keeping with its statutory aims of health protection and social inclusion: forest bathing along the woodland trails, yoga and meditation in natural settings, equine therapy and guided horseback activities, outdoor activities aimed at fostering socialization and the inclusion of vulnerable individuals, and the promotion of physical activity in forest environments.

The Transhumance Route and the Via Francigena del Sud
‍The estate is crossed by an ancient transhumance route that, according to tradition, led shepherds from the area from Jenne all the way to Anzio. This route, which intersects with the Via Francigena, was for centuries one of the main axes of connection between the Apennine hinterland and the Tyrrhenian coast, used both for the seasonal movement of flocks and for trade. In 2023, the "Vie di Transumanza – Transhumance Trails" network received the Cultural Route certification from the Council of Europe, becoming part of the European program dedicated to safeguarding this thousand-year-old practice.

Each year, the Foundation opens the estate to various associations that travel the historic trails on foot or on horseback, crossing Torrecchia Vecchia and the nearby "Lago di Giulianello" Natural Monument and intersecting with the "Via Francigena del Sud." These initiatives help preserve and renew the cultural role played by the butteri (traditional mounted herdsmen) and pastoral traditions in the Pontine territory.

Partnerships and Networks
‍The Hub operates within a well-established network of institutional, associative, and academic partners: the Municipality of Cisterna di Latina, co-signatory of the Multifunctional Rurality Agreement Rep. no. 323 of 7 July 2025; the Italian Parks and Gardens Association (APGI), of which the Foundation is a member; the Italian Environmental Fund (FAI), for visits dedicated to its members; the Royal Horticultural Society, the Mediterranean Garden Society, and other Italian and European garden associations; and Italian and foreign universities for research, teaching, and scientific exchange projects.
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The foundation is also committed to environmental sustainability through several key projects that take place within the Torrecchia estate. These initiatives promote energy-efficient building practices while focusing on preserving historical features.

The foundation has hosted numerous conferences on botany and environmental protection, such as: