Casina di Raffaello

Located in the heart of Villa Borghese, the Roma Capitale recreation center is housed in the enchanting 16th-century casino, originally known as "Palazzina dell’Alboreto dei Gelsi".

The building was realized to house the attendant of the noble family of Cardinal Scipione Borghese (1576-1633), collector and client of the splendid Roman villa. At the end of the 18th century, the whole area underwent radical changes following the creation of Piazza di Siena.

Around 1791, the architect Antonio Asprucci took care of the transformation of the Casina. He added a small church (the church of the Immaculate Conception) with precious polychrome marbles and frescoes by Felice Giani and Giovan Battista Marchetti depicting allegorical elements. Inside are the white marble statue of the Immaculate Conception by Filippo Grandjaquet and the tomb of the famous sculptor Pietro Canonica, who for over thirty years lived in the nearby Fortezzuola, now a museum dedicated to him. Aspruzzi also built a loggia on the first floor overlooking Piazza di Siena. Its decorations recalled the neoclassical portico at the entrance to the chapel in the pilasters marked by four large columns.

Since 2006, the Casina has been a place dedicated to all children aged 3 to 14.  It proposes an articulated program of activities ranging from educational workshops to animated readings, from meetings about editorial news to temporary exhibitions, from summer centres to training courses, and much more.

Spread over 400 square meters, it houses a reading room ─ with a careful selection of storybooks, picture and tactile books, first readings, and nursery rhymes. Many fun and educational games inspire children's curiosity and creativity. An area is dedicated to babies (0-3 years): here, the furnishings are transformed into soft games, and reading becomes a discovery of many countries around the world in the company of their parents.
In addition to the Theatre Room, the Exhibition Rooms with the Video Room, the Veranda - Laboratory Room, the Vestibule and the Terrace, on beautiful sunny days, kids can play in the outdoor area, an environment to explore and experience a simple and interactive way to have fun, immersed in the greenery of Villa Borghese, with building blocks and wooden games.