Caserma Castro Pretorio
The Caserma Castro Pretorio is a barracks of the Italian armed forces in Rome . It is also called Caserma Macao . It is located on Viale Castro Pretorio 123 at the metro station of the same name .
history
The barracks are located in the Castro Pretorio district , on the site of the ancient Castra praetoria , which once housed the Praetorian Guard . For this reason, the Caserma Castro Pretorio in Italy is sometimes referred to as the oldest barracks or military facility still in use by the military, although the current structure dates from the second half of the 19th century.
The current district of Castro Pretorio was not repopulated until the 17th century. On site at that time were Jesuits down by a mission from the Far East , including from Macau had returned and decided their settlement after the Portuguese colony in China to name. In addition to the usual Italian spelling Macao , the spelling Maccao was also used. In the vernacular and also in the language of the soldiers , the term Caserma Macao prevails to this day . This name is used again and again in official documents and websites, although the official name Caserma Castro Pretorio can also be seen at the barracks entrance .
In 1881, the Italian Parliament decided to build a number of new barracks in Rome, including an artillery and cavalry barracks on the site of the Roman Praetorian camp. Associations of these two branches of service used the barracks until the Second World War , including the 13th field artillery regiment and the 2nd cavalry regiment Piemonte Cavalleria . In the 1960s, large parts of the barracks in the south had to be surrendered in order to make room for the construction of the national library.
Todays use
The staff of the mixed support association Raggruppamento logistico centrale is located in the barracks . Units of this association are located in the Caserma Castro Pretorio , as well as in other barracks and other facilities in Rome. These units support the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff in various ways . The barracks, together with the neighboring Villa Pio IX (or Caserma Pio IX ), also serve as accommodation for soldiers who work in the Ministry of Defense or at least in military services in Rome. The Villa Pio IX is regularly used by politicians and senior officials as accommodation, although it is soldiers reserved. In the villa there is, among other things, an officers' mess .
In the barracks yard, the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff sometimes receive high-ranking guests with military honors . The barracks yard is also used as a helipad ( ⊙ ), and because of the neighboring Policlinico Umberto I university clinic , it is also used by civilian rescue helicopters , but also by helicopters operated by the Italian government. For some cabinet members, especially the Prime Minister , this is the closest heliport unless you want to be driven to Rome Ciampino Airport . There are two more helipads near the barracks: the President of the Republic has his own (rarely used and not intended for cabinet members) helipad at the Quirinal Palace ( inal ), and another is on the roof of the Palazzo Aeronautica ( ⊙ ), the seat of the Air Force General Staff .
Web links
- Entry on museimilitari.it
- Entry on meetart.it
- US General Dempsey received in the "Caserma Macao"
- RTH landing sites in Rome and Lazio ( page no longer available , search in web archives )
- About politicians, ambassadors and ministerial officials in the Villa Pio IX
- About Matteo Renzi and his helicopter flights between Florence and Rome (Caserma Macao)
Coordinates: 41 ° 54 ′ 26.8 " N , 12 ° 30 ′ 24.1" E