The idea of re-naturalizing a stretch of the Roffredo Caetani’s famlands, adjacent to the Garden of Ninfa, took root in 1991 and was the brainchild of three conservationists associated with the Foundation: Fulco Pratesi, Honorary President of WWF Italy, and member of the Foundation’s general council, Arturo Osio, former Chairman of the Foundation, and Lauro Marchetti, Director of the Garden.
In an area of some 100 hectares, the project was designed to recreate the conditions that pertained prior to the reclamation of the Pontine marshes in the early 20th century.
The resultant Pantanello Park, with its woods, canals, lakes and marshland, is a unique habitat for migrating birds and wildlife in general. As such it complements the Garden of Ninfa and its historic buildings, bringing back to life the features and landscapes that were once there.