ROME (ITALPRESS) – FAI (Fondo per l’Ambiente Italiano) Days in Rome will be enriched by the opening of Palazzo della Valle, headquarters of Confagricoltura, on Saturday, March 22 and Sunday, March 23.
For Italy’s oldest professional agricultural organization, this is a debut, as part of the FAI appointment, which completes the path of architectural and artistic enhancement started with the restoration of the facade and the main floor, culminating with the inauguration, a year ago, together with the President of the CEI, Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi.
Palazzo della Valle encapsulates the history of Italian agriculture, not only because of the 6,000 volumes of agricultural economics, labor law, agronomy etc. catalogued in the precious historical archive, but also because of the numerous institutional meetings, cultural events and scientific insights that have made it an important reference point for business and politics over time. The building dates back to the 16th century and was the home of Cardinal Andrea della Valle, bishop of Crotone and Mileto, a humanist and patron of the arts, who had it built around 1510 along the Via Papalis (today’s Corso Vittorio Emanuele II), so called because it was once traveled by papal processions.
Its architecture bears the signature of famous Renaissance artists. The courtyard, with its arches supported by marble and granite columns of Roman origin, is one of the most striking elements of the building. Since 1948 the palace has been the national headquarters of Confagricoltura.
During the FAI Days, visitors, starting from the courtyard and ascending the monumental staircase, will be able to access the rooms on the second floor, which are of significant historical and artistic value, such as the Serpieri Room (dedicated to the founder of agrarian economics, Arrigo Serpieri), the hub of the Confederation’s most important events. The coffered ceiling is embellished with gilded decorations and the coat of arms of Cardinal Andrea della Valle.
The frescoed walls show agrarian landscapes, ruins and allegorical figures, testifying to the close link between the building and the agricultural world, which has always been at the center of the Confederation’s activities and commitment. Other stops on the itinerary include the Library Room, which holds most of the historical book archive, and the Donini Room, dedicated to the promoter of the confluence of the major existing agricultural associations into Confagricoltura (in 1920, the official year of the Confederation’s birth). The palace will be open to FAI members from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
-Photo Ipa/Agency-
(ITALPRESS).
