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Walking a day or more in Villa Borghese

Since people who visit Rome usually keep their visits to the city’s historical centre, they sometimes get the idea that there aren’t many green spaces. Nothing could be further from the truth. Rome boasts the title of being the “greenest” city in Europe, with parks all over. Different in size and style, perhaps the city’s […]

Walking a day or more in Villa Borghese

Since people who visit Rome usually keep their visits to the city’s historical centre, they sometimes get the idea that there aren’t many green spaces. Nothing could be further from the truth. Rome boasts the title of being the “greenest” city in Europe, with parks all over. Different in size and style, perhaps the city’s most famous one is Villa Borghese. This particular park was developed around what used to be a residence and garden for the powerful Borghese family. In the early XX century, it was acquired by the State and opened to the general public. With almost 200,000 acres of territory, it’s Rome fourth largest park. But Villa Borghese’s way more than just a lovely green area of the city. It is home to an incredible number of attractions. A stroll down the lanes of this park is definitely worth your while. Here are some of the reasons why.

Museums, museums everywhere

One of the most important museums in the city (and the world, actually) is located by one of the Villa’s entrance. The Borghese Gallery is a beautiful building near the northern entrance of the park, not far away from the famous Via Veneto. It is the largest museum based on a single person’s collection, Cardinal Scipione Borghese. Among the numerous works you can find here, there are many of Bernini’s sculptures (“Apollo and Daphne” is a personal favourite), some of Caravaggio’s paintings and a lot of other masterpieces by lesser known artists.
But even if this is the park’s most famous museum, it’s not the only one. You can also find smaller ones, like the Pietro Canonica (a lovely little fortress dedicated to the artist that gives the museum its name); the Carlo Bilotti museum, home to works by De Chirico and others; the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art; and the Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia, these last two barely outside the Villa.

A great place to enjoy a movie

In 2004, the Casa del Cinema (House of Cinema) was created to play movies of general interest. Equipped with many rooms for movies, photo expositions and even a theatre out in the open for the summer months, the Casa is an important cultural centre and a great place to catch a movie while having a bite of mozzarella and enjoying the park’s fresh air.
Villa Borghese also prides itself in being home to the world’s smallest movie theatre, the Cinema dei Piccoli, which plays subtitled children films.

Restaurants galore

No place in Italy would be complete without at least a couple of cool eating spots. Near the Villa’s famous water clock (created by a Dominican friar and scientist) there’s the traditional and picturesque Casina dell’Orologio, where you can get your espresso fix before walking on and reaching the Pincio Terrace, one of the best views in all of the city. You can take your selfie there and enjoy the sight of Rome (we recommend getting there by sunset), and then either head to the Casina Valadier for a fancy dinner or, if you’re more in the mood for a sweet treat, walk down a little bit further and have a lovely cup of tea with pastries at Colbert, inside the French Academy. You can also, of course, bring your own food to the villa and have a picnic or DIY aperitivo as well. Nothing like a romantic glass of wine by the Pincio or surrounded by classic statues.

Take a boat ride at the Laghetto

Villa Borghese is big enough to hold its very own lake. Well, a small artificial lake, but a beautiful one at that. The Laghetto di Esculapio (“Asclepius’ little lake”) is one of the park’s most charming spots. Near the Villa’s exit to Piazza del Popolo, this area is filled with the shade the trees provide, and it gives you the chance to enjoy a short but romantic boat ride. If that is not your choice, you can always head to the Casina del Lago, a little bar ideal for a cocktail or a cup of tea while the heat dies down.
borghese villas

As you can now probably see, you can spend more than one day in this park and there would still be things to do and places to visit. We hope you can allot some time in your schedule to visit Villa Borghese and appreciate its beauty personally. If you’re already thinking about it, contact us! We can help you plan the best trip to Rome ever!