No matter how pretentious it may sound, but on the Roman square Torre Argentina (Largo di Torre Argentina), death and life, meanness and mercy met. Learning the history of this place, you shudder from the horror of what was once done here, then you melt with emotion because of what is happening now.
The Passion of Piazza Torre Argentina
The gloomy feature of the ancient ruins of this landmark is that on March 15, 44 BC. a bloody event happened here. Resonant, as they would say now. The conspirators killed an outstanding ruler of that time, one of the most significant statesmen and commanders of Ancient Rome, the dictator Gaius Julius Caesar.
The halo of this bloody drama reigned over the square for 2000 years until … cats came here.
When the cats are full and the Romans are safe
Cats are believed to be able to process negativity. It is unknown whether there is scientific evidence for this, but the fact that a metamorphosis with the perception of this place from negative to positive occurred is for sure.
The feline part of the history of the square began in 1929. And she is connected with another dictator.
The government of the National Fascist Party, at the initiative of its head Benito Mussolini, began to transform the historic center of Rome. Duce believed that "all of ancient Rome should be freed from mediocre layers." Much has been lost as a result of the policy of modernizing the city and creating a “new Rome”. But there were also amazing finds.
In 1926-1928, simultaneously with the demolition, archaeological work was carried out at the site of the present Piazza Argentino. Then the complex with the ruins of four temples from the period of the ancient Roman Republic (509-27 BC) was cleared. From that time on, the excavation area was called the Area Sacra (Sacred Land).
It was on this new page of the annals of Rome that cats appeared on the Sacred Land. According to one of the Roman legends, they played the role of saviors. It is difficult to judge how reliable this is, but such a story lives in the city: during the excavation of ancient ruins, the perennial inhabitants of the underground labyrinths - rats and mice - came out en masse. Forced to leave the ruins, the gray hordes rushed to explore the surrounding neighborhoods. The townspeople found themselves in a dire situation.
The solution was found brilliant in its simplicity and very effective. To fight the rat and mouse hordes, a motley army of homeless city cats was gathered here. This army quickly dealt with the rodents.
So the cats were full, the Romans were safe, and the story continued.
The cat tribe took root in the Argentina square, and the good townspeople began to take care of the animals. Gradually, the atmosphere of tension due to the treacherous murder of an outstanding figure of Roman history here was softened by the presence of cute four-legged inhabitants. The negative and the positive paradoxically got along and doubled the tourist interest.
And the unusual ancient sanctuary later turned into an official cat shelter.
"Gatter" Anna Magnani
They began to throw stray or unnecessary cats into the excavation. Compassionate women volunteered to take care of them. They were named "gattere" ("gattare" from the word "gatto" - "cat" in Italian).
Oscar-winning Anna Magnani was one such kind-hearted gatter. She played in the famous theater, the building of which stands on Largo di Torre Argentina and is named after the square - Teatro Argentina. The great actress, who herself grew up in the slums of Rome, constantly came to the excavation site to personally feed the cats with the food they brought.
“Anna loved all animals. And maybe even more ugly, homeless, sick. She looked after them, even treated them,”said Tina Reale, who had been friends with Anna Magnani for a long time.
“I love nature, villages. I would like to buy a small house and devote myself to all living things - trees, animals,”Magnani herself said.
The actress died in the fall of 1973. An endless sea of people came to say goodbye to her. And in the newspapers it was printed that the cats of Rome mourn her departure.
Cat colony Torre Argentina
A serious stage in the life of the cat camp was the appearance of Leah Dekel and Sylvia Viviani. It was they who in 1993 organized a real home for abandoned stray animals - the "Colonia Felina Torre Argentina". The orphanage was allocated basement rooms under the road near the excavation site. More than a hundred cats are still receiving medical attention, food and petting.
The costs for them are partly covered by the city budget. Indeed, in 2001, the residents of this shelter were recognized as a landmark of the capital. They are officially considered a valuable "biohistoric" part of the cultural heritage of Rome.
And partly the expenses are covered by donations from townspeople and tourists who rush to the Area sacra di Torre Argentina to instantly see charming cats, the ruins of ancient structures and the ominous area of Caesar's death.
Place of death of Gaius Julius Caesar
October 2012 brought the opening. Archaeologists from Spain discovered a structure that was installed at the place of Caesar's death by order of Octavian Augustus, the adopted son and heir of the ruler of Rome. It turned out to be a rectangle three meters wide and about two meters high, which covers the point where Caesar fell.
Gaius Julius presided over the Senate sitting in a chair at the bottom of the curia of Pompey. 23 dagger strikes of a group of conspirators stopped both the meeting and the heart of the commander. It turned out to be easier for the commander to survive on the battlefields than to survive in intrigue.
Caesar's associates turned into his assassins. But after thousands of years, a dark place of evil and betrayal has become a place of devotion and kindness. The balance was established by the cats that appeared here and their caring patrons.
"Adoption" of cats
On average, about 150 animals live in the shelter. In addition to shelters, independent cats live on the territory of the archaeological reserve, which are also fed. There is a constant circulation: some animals are thrown into the colony, others are handed over into good hands. The shelter came up with a program for the "adoption" of cats.
They will not give a cat to anyone who wants to, but everyone can take part in the maintenance of the cattery or take patronage over the cat they like.
Even if a person lives thousands of kilometers from Rome, he can have a pet in the Eternal City. In the colony, "distance adoption" is practiced. You just need to send a certain amount of money for maintenance, and in return, periodically receive news about your Roman favorite.
The kennel has a bilingual website. There is a souvenir shop for tourists inside. The proceeds from the sale go to caring for the cats.
The shelter is open to visitors every day from noon to 6 pm.
