Just before celebrating its twenty-five-year anniversary, Il Carro organized a day of reflection on the current role of the residential care home—with particular focus, naturally, on disability. Held under the patronage of Rome's Department of Social Policy, and supported by Casa al Plurale, Ombre e Luci, and the Charlemagne Foundation, the morning of June 13th brought together diverse voices: personal testimonies and in-depth analysis of residential homes across Italy, including Il Carro itself, tracing its history and evolution.
Antonio Mazzarotto, president of the Association, opened the conference by describing the dual nature of a residential home: the institutional dimension—housing, personal care, and other services for the community—and the relational dimension, the bonds of affection among those who live there. A home's sustainability depends on the quality of both aspects, as Matteo and Ivana, the founders of Il Carro, affirmed moments later while recounting their demanding and joyful twenty-five years of work.
Municipal funding took seventeen years to arrive. But love and dedication were there from day one. How do you build a relationship with a disabled person? "By sitting beside them during the day, sharing meals, or simply being silent together," Ivana concluded. With genuine optimism, she urged others to follow the path Il Carro has taken, because despite countless difficulties, "it can be done."
A staff member and a volunteer then shared their own connection to the association, describing practical details of daily life, their voices charged with feeling as they spoke of their relationships with the residents. A mother, Nunzia Giancola, closed this series of testimonies by articulating every parent's worry: what happens after we are gone? She spoke of her specific hopes for her daughter's future.
"The person who is different from us is also like us. We must encounter the heart, not only the limitation, not only the fault," said Luca Russo of the Giovanni XXIII Association—a community operating in 32 countries with 253 residential homes across Italy. He stressed the importance of moving past prejudice and fear toward genuine welcome. Fabrizio Aphel of the Loic Association, which runs two homes near Rome, echoed this, criticizing the habit of noticing "only what is missing, not what is there." Russo and Aphel, speaking from opposite directions—one Catholic, one secular—pointed toward the same horizon: residential homes must welcome without barriers.
Luigi Vittorio Berliri, president of Casa al Plurale (an association of 18 organizations working in the Lazio region on social integration), closed the conference with analysis and statistics. The economic picture was grim: though residential homes consume only 0.003 percent of the national budget, there is no intention to increase funding. The current resources are insufficient for quality care. Fortunately, the human dimension more than compensates. Where institutional support falls short, networks of relationship find the strength and creativity needed to care for and welcome the most vulnerable—through volunteer work and the sharing of space and resources.
Professor Giancarlo Cursi of the Salesiana University's Faculty of Education presented findings from a survey of nineteen residential homes in Rome, examining both administrative and practical management. Those living in these homes reported a strong sense of belonging. The relational and behavioral benefits, especially for people with disabilities, were striking.
Matteo Cinti, 2015