Villa Borghese

Villa Borghese (44)

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Villa Borghese would be the Roman equivalent to New York’s Central Park or London’s Hyde Park. So if you fancy a stroll through some quiet gardens, this is the perfect spot, since despite being inside the city, once inside you can sense an atmosphere of great calm.

This marvellous green space within the city was created in the 17th century by Cardinal Scipioni Borghese, nephew of Pope Paul V. The park has 400 pine trees, fountains by Giovanni Fontana and sculptures by Pietro Bernini.

In 1901, Villa Borghese became state-owned. You can travel around it on bike, go horse-riding or play sports. The park also has an artificial lake, a zoo and an amphitheatre.

One of the park’s big attractions is the large number of trees, making it the ideal spot to shelter from the summer heat. The amphitheatre of the Piazza di Siena, for example, is surrounded by tall pine trees. Close to the square is the Casina di Rafaello, which it is said was owned by Raphael.

If you look carefully, you will see that at all the intersections in the park there is a fountain or a statue. Some of these statues are dedicated to figures such as Byron, Goethe or Victor Hugo.

In the centre of the park is the Giardino del Lago, a garden with an artificial lake and an Ionic temple dedicated to the God of health. If you go the south end of the lake you will reach the Fontana dei Fauni or “Fountain of the Fawns”, a beautiful piece in art nouveau style.

Additionally, in the northeast sector of the villa is the Zoological Museum, as well as a small zoo known as the Bioparco.

To finish, just remember that every May you can enjoy a horse show that is held in the park’s amphitheatre.

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INFORMATION

Introduction (2)

Play&Tour (0)

Colosseum - Description (10)

Rome, a brief history (1)

ESSENTIAL

Ara Pacis Augustae (42)

Baths of Caracalla (92)

Circo Massimo (90)

Forum Boarium (86)

Pantheon (46)

Piazza Navona (54)

Santa Maria Maggiore (21)

Via Condotti (38)

Arco di Constantino (11)

Campidoglio (3)

Colosseum - Description (10)

Imperial Forums (7)

Piazza and Porta del Popolo (40)

Piazza Venezia (50)

Trastevere (75)

Villa Borghese (44)

Basilica of Saint Peter (68)

Campo de Fiori (60)

Colosseum - History (9)

Imperial Forums - Forum of Trajan (8)

Piazza della Repubblica (30)

Roman Forum (5)

Vatican (67)

Villa Farnesina (77)

Basilica of San Marco (53)

Castel Sant'Angelo (73)

Fontana di Trevi (25)

Palatine (6)

Piazza di Spagna (36)

Santa Maria in Trastevere (76)

Via Appia Antica (95)

INTERESTING

Aventino (91)

Domus Aurea (13)

Il Ghetto (88)

Palazzo della Cancelleria (65)

Piazza di San Ignacio (52)

San Clemente (14)

San Lorenzo Fuori le Mura (99)

San Pietro in Vincoli (12)

Santa Maria del Popolo (41)

Santa Maria in Cosmedin (89)

Sant'Agnese fuori le Mura (100)

Santi Quattro Coronati (15)

Terme de Diocleziano (23)

Catacombs of San Callisto (96)

Fontana delle Tartarughe (61)

Isola Tiberina (82)

Palazzo Farnese (63)

Pincio (39)

San Crisogono (84)

San Luigi dei Francesi (57)

San Sebastiano Fuori le Mura (97)

Santa Maria della Concezione (35)

Santa Maria Sopra Minerva (47)

Sant'Agostino (58)

Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza (59)

Testaccio (87)

Cimitero Acattolico (93)

Gianicolo (80)

Palazzo Altemps (55)

Pasquino (56)

Ponte Sant'Angelo (74)

San Francesco a Ripa (85)

San Paolo Fuori le Mura (98)

Santa Cecilia in Trastevere (81)

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Santa Prassede (19)

Sant'andrea al Quirinale (28)

Santo Stefano Rotondo (16)

Via Veneto (32)

Complesso di San Michele a Ripa (83)

Il Gesù (49)

Palazzo del Quirinale (27)

Piazza Barberini (34)

San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane (29)

San Giovanni in Laterano (17)

San Pietro in Montorio (79)

Santa Croce in Gerusalemme (18)

Santa Maria in Aracoeli (51)

Santa Pudenziana (20)

Sant'Andrea della Valle (66)

Teatro di Marcello (62)

MUSEUM

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Montemartini Museum (94)

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Palazzo Doria Pamphili (48)

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Palazzo Massimo alle Terme (22)

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Keats and Shelley House Museum (37)

Palazzo Barberini (31)

Vatican Museum (69)

Villa Giulia (43)