Vegetables growing without an ounce of soil, inside two greenhouses built almost two centuries ago. It happens in Rome, and not in a laboratory, but at Villa Pamphilj, one of Europe’s most beautiful historic parks. The monumental greenhouses of the Cedrati Garden are coming back to life thanks to an organic, sustainable, high-tech hydroponic agriculture project, carried out in collaboration with Sapienza University of Rome.
Inaugurated a few days ago, on Oct. 26, 2025, by Councillor Sabrina Alfonsi, the greenhouses of the Casale dei Cedrati become a symbol of how the past and the future can coexist in the same space, between history, innovation and care for the land.
Growing without soil: how hydroponic farming works
Hydroponic farming is not magic, but an amazing technology.
Plants do not grow in the soil: their roots are suspended on an inert substrate, irrigated with a water solution enriched with organic nutrients.
No chemical fertilizer, therefore, and no water loss: the closed recirculation system allows the same amount of liquid to be constantly reused, drastically reducing waste.
Inside the greenhouses, a set of digital probes monitors parameters such as temperature, pH, salinity and electroconductivity in real time. All data can be monitored remotely to ensure optimal growth.
The result? Amazing. Plants grow up to 30 percent faster, with a 20 percent higher production yield than traditional methods, and water consumption reduced by nearly 90 percent.
This is a system developed by the company H4O together with the Department of Environmental Biology at Sapienza University, after more than a decade of experimentation.
And therein lies the real revolution: this hi-tech system was inserted without altering the historical structure of the 19th-century greenhouses, built in the first half of the 19th century. The old glass and iron now coexists with digital sensors and suspended crops.
Historic greenhouses at Villa Pamphilj: a restoration that combines memory and innovation
The two long-forgotten greenhouses were part of a larger indoor cultivation system at Villa Pamphilj. Today, after years of inactivity, they are once again producing fresh vegetables, herbs and greens – all zero-mileage and also destined for the Casale’s cafeteria.
The intervention was promoted by the Municipality of Rome Capital, with the support of the Casale dei Cedrati Association and Coopculture.
As Councillor Alfonsi stated:
We are returning a place of historical value to the city, combining sustainability and enhancement of the commons.
The project is part of a broader path of rebirth of historic Roman villas. It is a model that combines citizen participation, technological innovation and respect for heritage, and could become an example for other Italian cities.
Urban agriculture in Rome: a new way of experiencing green space
But the greenhouses at Casale dei Cedrati are not just an agricultural facility. They are a laboratory open to the city.
In addition to production, there is a digital pathway for visitors: via QR code or app one can explore the history of the villa, the botanical species and the stages of the hydroponic project. All within an immersive experience, with interactive mapping and participatory storytelling.
The goal is twofold: to introduce people to the beauty of the historic garden while educating them about sustainability. The greenhouses thus become a “green hub” where art, nature, technology and community intertwine.
According to Giovanna Barni, delegate of Coopculture:
Casale, Garden and Greenhouses are now a cooperative model of urban regeneration, where tradition meets innovation.
Rome and the challenge of sustainable agriculture
The Villa Pamphilj greenhouses project marks an important step in Rome’s urban agriculture strategy. It is a demonstration that even in a historic city it is possible to develop sustainable and innovative production models without consuming new land.
If it works-and the early data promise it-the experience can be replicated in other contexts, from schools to public facilities, paving the way for a network of urban hydroponic micro-cultures.
At a time when the climate crisis imposes new paradigms, seeing vegetables growing without soil, in a 19th-century greenhouse, is more than a curiosity: it is a sign of how the Eternal City can still reinvent itself.