Ideal Vegetal City: the three interventions that will transform San Lorenzo Nuovo
Cultural hub, panoramic park at Vignolo, and lakeside performance area: the main interventions of the PNRR‑funded regeneration project
The Ideal Vegetal City project is entering its operational phase with three major interventions set to transform the identity of San Lorenzo Nuovo, a village in the Alta Tuscia. The structural actions included in the PNRR‑funded urban regeneration program involve the creation of new cultural spaces and green areas designed for the community, tourism, and events.
The interventions, entrusted to the team led by architects Elia Giancotti and Benedetto Todaro, aim to enhance the area’s landscape and architectural heritage through solutions inspired by inclusion, accessibility, and sustainability.
A panoramic park at Vignolo
One of the key interventions is the creation of a new panoramic public park in the Vignolo area, destined to become one of the symbols of the Ideal Vegetal City. The park will give visible and tangible form to the metaphor of the “vegetal city”, integrating with the historical identity of San Lorenzo Nuovo as a Real Ideal City, founded in the 18th century after the abandonment of the old settlement of San Lorenzo alle Grotte.
The former Multi‑Purpose Center becomes a cultural hub
The project also includes the restoration of the former Multi‑Purpose Center of the Episcopal Curia, which will be transformed into a new cultural hub serving the community.
The building will host:
- a big Auditorium Hall
- spaces dedicated to a library and coworking
- rooms for the Curia’s activities
- new public services
The intervention will feature a vegetal façade highlighting the relationship between architecture and nature, while energy efficiency will be ensured through photovoltaic panels installed on the roof.
A performance park at the Church of San Giovanni in Val di Lago
The third intervention focuses on enhancing the ruins of the Church of San Giovanni in Val di Lago, located near the lakeshore.
The area will be transformed into a park equipped for musical and theatrical performances, with lightweight basalt and wood structures improving accessibility and event usability. The ancient church walls will become a striking scenic backdrop for light installations and video projections.
Culture and tourism for the revival of the village
These interventions are part of the ten actions included in the Ideal Vegetal City project, which also features cultural events, festivals, artist residencies, and a new tourism communication strategy with thematic itineraries.
“With the Ideal Vegetal City project, we aim to regenerate our village, make it more attractive to tourists and creatives, and more accessible for the local community,” said Mayor Simona Fabi, emphasizing the importance of countering depopulation in small villages by enhancing quality of life and new opportunities such as remote work.
The restoration of the cultural hub, the new Vignolo park, and the enhancement of the San Giovanni in Val di Lago area thus represent three strategic pillars for strengthening the role of San Lorenzo Nuovo as a place of encounter, culture, and shared community life within the Tuscia region.
