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Italian About Us “ The district called San Lorenzo “ is in the eastern part of the city… just outside the Aurelian walls, between the south east side of the Termini station complex, the Basilica of San Lorenzo and Verano cemetery, and the rail-yards which constitute its southern border...  
Most of it was constructed by private speculator between 1878 and 1930, outside the guidelines laid down in the town plans of 1873 and 1883. It was destined for low- income housing, craftsmen’s workshop and light industry and for this reason was naturally separated from the rest of the city. The town plan of 1909 merely made a note of the state of affairs and included the district within the urban perimeter.  
Built according to a typically late 19th century plan, like the nearby Esquilino and Prati districts, San Lorenzo – unlike the later two- has always been in a rather bad state, so much that improvements had to be carried out while it was still under construction starting after an outbreak of cholera in 1886. On July 19 1943, the district suffered the worst bombing that was to receive from the anglo-American allies during the world war two. 1600 people died, countless homes were destroyed and many other were damaged… in the post-war the quarter reached a new low where decay and abandon were concerned” (from San Lorenzo 1881-1981 by Marcello Pazzaglini, Officina edizioni). Today, though, the picture has reversed. The convenient location has attracted new inhabitants, the kind of people who purchase their own homes and renovate them. Little by little they are replacing the elderly residents, who made up 22% of the population only a few year back. San Lorenzo is certainly changing but the process of gentrification has so far failed to erase its working class soul.  
The Cerere building –the oldest of the three major factory buildings in theSan Lorenzo district (the others are the Sciarra glassworks and the Wührer beer brewery) is undoubtedly the most important feature of the area’s repertory of industrial archaeology. Founded in 1905, in the following year the company commissioned engineer Pietro Satti to create its premises by modifying and adapting two pre-existent structures. A two storey residential building built in 1898 between via Tiburtina and via degli Ausoni, and a parallel, four storey industrial building dating from 1893.  
The project called for the enclosure of the complex in a block maintaining the two-storey front on via Tiburtina. The first version of the project was not approved, due to the poor quality of the prospect. In the subsequent design the building on via Tiburtina grew to four storeys, with brick walls and cast iron columns, while a third of the rear courtyard was taken up by a large covered gallery. In 1912 two floors in reinforced concrete were added to the inner building, one other to the building in via Tiburtina, and a mansard roof- after a long dispute with the building commission – along via degli Ausoni. Futher more another building was added, facing partially on piazza dei Sanniti. "Abitare issue 285 - May 1990 Photo from the book: 'Senza Sapere da che parte stanno' di Padre Libero Raganella - Bulzoni Editore. | |
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