The History of Casa Cares
The Casa Cares Children's Home
Cares: Meeting Center and Vacation House of the Waldensian Church
The Fattoria Graffi was developed in the 18th and 19th century by the Quadratesi family in the style of a traditional Tuscan farm. The farm was sold in the beginning of the 1900's and the new owners made various modifications including the relocation of the olive press and the development of a storage cantina under the park.
After the last war, new owners took hold of the farm but with the end of share cropping, it would have taken a significant financial investment to make the necessary transformations. In the late 60's, then, the owners decided to divide and sell everything.
Through the work done in restructuring the villa, and through speaking with those involved in the past of the Fattoria Graffi, many interesting bits of history have come to the surface, but a deep research into the past of the Fattoria Graffi is still missing, and we would certainly be grateful to those who would give us a hand in uncovering a bit more of history.
The Casa Cares Children's HomeUp until about thirty years ago, Italy maintained the world's highest percentage of children in institutions. This phenomenom was closely linked to the country's history of social service that, for centuries, had been entrusted to the church. In the last century, social services for families have been particularily developed, both in the form of institutes for children of the poor, and also as colleges for children of higher economic status.
In this context came the birth of institutions founded by evangelical protestant churches and by individuals associated with them. Casa Cares was founded in 1962 by a group of friends from various evangelical churches under the leadership of an American pastor. The work began in Florence to search for a location.
It wasn't thought to locate the institution very far from the city since moving a family with little means and more than forty members is not the easiest thing. After evaluating a number of possibilities, the institution finally arrived at the Villa Graffi. It was a period when land that wasn't adaptable to modern farming was being abandoned and many old farms were being broken up. It was also a time before the masses began discovering the beauty of living in the countryside. With gifts and donations, the Villa Graffi was bought along with five hectres of woods and four hectres of olive trees. On January 1, 1971, the Casa Cares "family" moved into the Villa Graffi.
Then, just as with the traditional system of sharecropping, the antiquated system of social assistance also found it's time to pass through history. The Regions initiated more modern programs of adoption and trust. There were fewer children and simply a general elevation of social well being. Casa Cares, as an institute for children, completed it's service in 1975.
Cares: Meeting Center and Vacation House of the Waldensian ChurchFor some years, the use of the villa became very limited. Two supporters (Gioele Mongiovetto of the Bretheren Church in Piemonte and Giulietta Nunzi of the Methodist Church in Florence) offered to care for the property as much as possible. Finally, after years of having no children to assist, the directive committee decided to do something before the whole thing degraded any further.
The property was offered to the Waldensian Church because the church was known for it's commitment to social responsibility and it's serious administration. The church considered the offer seriously for some time before accepting the donation, well aware of the many risks and the significant amount of work necessary. In the end, though, the offer was accepted (in the early 80's) and gradually the work began that continues today.
Since 1985, Antoinette and Paul Krieg, invited by the administrative body of the church (the Waldensian Table) to return to Italy, have managed Casa Cares as a center for meetings and hospitality aimed primarily at Italian and foreign church groups. Designated with the Comune of Reggello as a "Vacation House", Casa Cares has available 16 bedrooms with a total of 55 beds. There are rooms for meetings, and dining room, and a library. Other groups: schools, therapy, and various seminars are also welcome as well as single guests.
In the recently remodelled farmhouse next to the villa live the Krieg Family along with the staff of co-workers, mostly volunteers, who in the past years have come from Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Poland, Hungary, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the United States, Slovakia, England, and Australia.
The third building, formerly a chapel and olive press, is currently in a period of disuse, but the hope remains the bring it back to life as a multi-use chapel and meeting room as well as providing space for a new kitchen and dining hall. The projected restructuring should incorporate a design that is sensitive to the environment and that is consistent with Casa Cares' position as "caretakers of creation" and with the idea of sustainability.
The other hope of the center is to promote and provide space for dialogue between people coming from different places with different ideas and beliefs.
Begun near the end of the 12th century by the hand of Valdo da Lione and a group of friends, the Waldensian movement had in it's development some fundamental characteristics: poverty, the refusal of the link between the church and the state, and the concept of free reading and preaching of the Gospel, in modern language, by any believer, man and woman.
Spread mostly in Central Europe, the Waldsensian movement, never sectarian, was assimilated in some countries by the protestant reform while in Italy it transformed itself from a movement into a church in 1532. The Waldensian community manages itself at all levels with assemblies that debate and discuss problems, make decisions, and elect those responsible and delegated.
The Church meets in the Synod every August at Torre Pellice in the historical Waldensian Valley southeast of Turin. The local community believes and preaches that which is taught in the Holy Scripture in accordance with the rediscovery of the gospel as it was carried out during the reformation. The Church also maintains a strong obligation to social responsibility.
Casa Cares 56 Via Pietrapiana 50066 Reggello (FI) Italy Tel. 0039-055-8652001 Fax. 0039-055-8652900 Email: info@casacares.it URL: www.casacares.it
Paul and Antoinette Krieg
This Page was
constructed by Dan Berkeland in April, 2001
Contact Dan at danberkeland@yahoo.com
Animations by Leah Krieg (leahkrieg@yahoo.com)