International Urban Vineyards Day - Vigneto Italia Open Day

A unique vineyard in the heart of Rome

In the heart of Trastevere, on the slopes of the Janiculum Hill, the Botanical Garden of Rome houses a viticultural installation like no other: Vigneto Italia. On a single plot of about 500 square meters, a collection of native grape varieties from all Italian regions, including the islands, grows side-by-side with select international varieties. It is the world's first experiment of its kind, and once a year, on the occasion of the International Urban Vineyards Day, it opens to the public with an Open Day that is free to enter but limited in capacity.

The International Urban Vineyards Day

The event stems from an initiative by the Urban Vineyards Association, an international network that brings together historic urban vineyards in cities such as Paris, Vienna, Turin, Siena, Avignon, and, of course, Rome. Every spring, the association dedicates a day to promoting these pockets of vines that have survived within the urban fabric, telling the ancient story of the bond between the city and viticulture. In Rome, the day coincides with the extraordinary opening of Vigneto Italia, which celebrated its eighth year of life in 2026.

How the day unfolds

The format is simple and intentionally educational. It begins in the morning at the Aranciera (Orangery) of the Botanical Garden, where technicians, researchers, professors, and volunteers explain the vineyard's health, the results of agronomic research, and the project's future prospects. This is followed by a walk among the rows, an opportunity to see rare varieties up close that are often no longer found in commercial vineyards. The finale is a toast in the vineyard, featuring a tasting of the new vintages of Somma Sapienza in both white and red versions: two mosaic wines obtained by blending dozens upon dozens of different grape varieties harvested together.

The history of the project

Vigneto Italia was planted in 2018 based on an idea by Luca and Francesca Romana Maroni, in collaboration with Sapienza University of Rome, the University of Tuscia, and the Vivai Cooperativi Rauscedo, which provided the plant material and guaranteed the genetic authenticity of the varieties. The vineyard is managed without synthetic chemicals, using an organic approach and biodynamic attention: it serves as a germplasm collection, an outdoor educational laboratory, and a tool for public outreach. It is also the only university project in the world that produces wine from grapes grown in a fully urban context.

Why it is worth visiting

• See the Italian viticultural biodiversity at a glance, from the North to the islands.
• Listen directly to researchers and agronomists, without commercial filters.
• Taste a wine that exists nowhere else, born from over seventy grape varieties for each version.
• Discover the Botanical Garden, one of the most beautiful and least crowded corners of Rome, in the Municipality of Rome, Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, in the Lazio region.
• Understand the theme of urban gardens and productive green spaces in cities, an increasingly central topic in environmental debates.

Part of a larger season

The spring Open Day is the first of three moments when Vigneto Italia steps out of its scientific dimension to meet the public: in June, the Botanical Garden hosts Roma Hortus Vini, the evening festival dedicated to native Italian grape varieties, while in September, the Vendemmiata Romana (Roman Grape Harvest) takes place, featuring a participatory harvest. Those fascinated by the walk among the rows in April have two other opportunities in the same location to follow the complete cycle of the Roman urban vineyard.