Italy’s Colonia Felina Di Torre Argentina Or ‘Colony Of Cats’
The ancient ruins of Torre Argentina in Rome, Italy has become a city-sanctioned sanctuary for stray cats.DrJEBall/Twitter The Largo di Torre Argentina is known as the site of Roman Emperor Julius Caesar's brutal assassination. The site dates back to 44 BC. Now, it's one of the most famous places overrun with cats. Archaeology_IN/Twitter There are roughly 250 cats that have made the historic Roman ruins their home.WKGS_Latin/Twitter The Torre Argentina ruins were first discovered in 1929 after Italian dictator Benito Mussolini began revamping large swaths of Rome. DrJEBall/Twitter Cats climbing on top of the ancient columns of Torre Argentina.myvideomedia/Twitter By the end of the 1920s, the Largo di Torre Argentina began attracting stray cats from all over the city, turning it into a cat haven.DrJEBall/Twitter Residents of Rome began to look after the stray cats that convened at Torre Argentina. Volunteer cat ladies known as "gattare" fed and looked after them.Twitter The ruins were ultimately turned into an official cat sanctuary by Colonia Felina, a cat rescue charity with a facility located near the site.Twitter The sanctuary workers keep the feline population under control by spaying or neutering the cats, feeding them, and working with veterinarians to keep them healthy.WKGS_Latin/Twitter A wide variety of cats roam the Roman ruins. Some of the cats have disabilities, missing limbs, or are blind. Those with special needs are housed in a separate location walled off from the rest.WKGS_Latin/Twitter When archaeologists began to urge the government to close down the cat sanctuary to preserve the integrity of Torre Argentina, locals rallied. They collected 30,000 signatures protesting the closure. meholt/Twitter The government has announced plans to make Torre Argentina accessible for the public. It's now closed off to human visitors.Sarah404BC/Twitter
Explore Italy's Colony Of Cats View GalleryLargo di Torre Argentina is known in history as the place where Roman Emperor Julius Caesar was assassinated by members of the Senate in 44 B.C. Now, it's one of the world's most famous cat havens.
The ancient ruins were first discovered in 1929 after Italian dictator Benito Mussolini began revamping large swaths of Rome. Workers uncovered four temples dated back as far as 400 B.C., and since then, the ruins have been maintained by the city.
But then by the end of the 1920s, Largo di Torre Argentina somehow began attracting stray cats from all over Rome, turning it into an unusual shelter. Of course, the existence of so many orphan cats also drew attention from residents.
today, volunteer cat ladies, known as "gattare," feed and look after the cats who live among the ruins.
Then, the responsibility of caring for these cats was officially taken over by volunteers from the Colonia Felina sanctuary, which was officially opened near the ruins in 1994. They continue to keep the cat population under control through spaying and neutering.
So far, the sanctuary has spayed and neutered 58,000 cats and finds homes for 125 strays every year. There are believed to be about 250 cats wandering the grounds today.
These Roman cats live among the ruins of Rome's Largo di Torre Argentina.The type of cats who call Torre Argentina home vary. Some have disabilities, like a missing limb or bad eyesight. Cats that are elderly or who have special needs are housed in a separate location that is walled off from the rest of the pack.
All the cats of Colonia Felina receive food and medical care from the sanctuary. When these cats aren't being showered with love and attention by handlers, they can be seen relaxing amid the ruins. Though Torre Argentina is fenced off to visitors, people can still watch the cats from afar.
The sanctuary itself has a separate facility nearby where cat-lovers can come by to meet the furry residents and browse souvenirs at their gift shop. The organization also arranges adoptions.
While seeing cats hanging around structures that are thousands of years old brings joy to visitors, not everyone is pleased with the arrangement. The temple's fragile state has led archaeologists to call for the closure of the cat sanctuary, arguing that the presence of the furry inhabitants could destroy the temples over time.
In response, residents collected 30,000 signatures to petition against the sanctuary's closure.
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