Campoli

Number of permanent residents: 12 people, including children
Extent: 10/12 sheepfolds, 10 hectares
Year of foundation: 1994
Open to new members: yes
Welcomes volunteers: yes
They welcome visitors: yes

Campoli – Thirty years of shared life in the woods of the Apennines.

Immersed in the deep silence of the Apennines, among woods, pastures and cultivated lands, Campoli is one of the historical communities of the Elf territory. Founded in May 1994 as a work experience, today, more than 30 years later, it continues to cultivate a simple, collective lifestyle deeply rooted in nature.

The community stretches between Campoli Alto and Campoli Basso and is made up of scattered houses, a communal house in the center and a varied landscape that alternates between orchards, vegetable gardens and large woods. It currently houses 12 people, including five children, who are growing up together, following a common family school path, immersed in the rhythm of natural life.

L’autosufficienza è uno dei cuori pulsanti di Campoli: l’orto e la conservazione dei suoi frutti, una ricca lamponaia, ribes, uva spina e mirtilli, sono parte essenziale del vivere quotidiano. Anche l’energia segue la via della sostenibilità, con un impianto fotovoltaico in espansione.

Self-sufficiency is one of the beating hearts of Campoli: the vegetable garden and the preservation of its fruits, a rich lamponaia, currants, gooseberries and blueberries, are an essential part of daily life. Even the energy follows the path of sustainability, with an expanding photovoltaic plant.

Vegetarian and largely vegan, the community has chosen not to raise animals, while keeping alive the memory of its historic goats, once a symbol of the village. Today, the spirit of Campoli is embodied above all by the children, the new generation of foresters.

The community welcomes those who pass by, those who seek and those who wish to offer time, listening and hands. The common cash register and the exchange of energies – work, presence, free contributions – are part of how we build reciprocity with those who arrive.

To go to Campoli is to enter another space where time expands, relationships become slow and deep, and life is interwoven in ever new ways with the land, the seasons, and the people.