Parco Regionale Urbano di Aguzzano

The park was instituted in 1989 and lies in the area between Via Nomentana, Via Tiburtina, the great ring road (the GRA) and the Aniene river. The name comes from the “Auzano” estate, a large stretch of farmland belonging to the ancient Roman gens Acutia. It currently lies in the middle of densely populated neighbourhoods built in the estate’s lands since World War II. In Roman times the area was very important from both an agricultural and trading point of view because of the nearby ViaTiburtina and the Aniene river. Near the Casale Nuovo there are the remains of a large villa of imperial times, with mosaic paved baths structures. During the Middle Ages the landscape featured many watchtowers. After centuries of abandonment, during which the area was grazing land, the reclaiming of the agro romano (Roman countryside) after the unification of Italy (1870) led to the building of many farmhouses, still present in the parklands. From a naturalistic standpoint, the Aguzzano Park is characterised by the presence of a channel, the Fosso di San Basilio, running along its whole length before flowing into the Fosso della Cecchina channel and then into the Aniene river. This water course is flanked by willows and lines of poplars – trees adapted to wet environments. The park is also a home to amphibians such as frogs and toads, mammals such as hedgehogs and many species of birds.