Yesterday read about a woman who had just visited Rome. Reporting that inspite of ongoing Covid restrictions, the city was still fantastic and still very much like an open air museum. Which I could only agree on – it was actually my own very thought after visiting four years ago. Art and architecture from thousands of years ago standing proud and more or sometimes less intact for everyone to touch and admire. Quite an amazing experience, certainly compared to a real museum visit. A place which may not be thousands of years old but which I reckon has an abundance of experiences on offer as well as being a park with a VIEW is Villa Borghese.
Villa Borghese was originally built as a testament reflecting the immense prestige and wealth of the Borghese family and at the same time housing the art collection of Cardinal Scipione Caffarelli Borghese, nephew of Pope Paul V. In 1606 construction began to transform the land into the largest park (garden) and hunting ground in Rome. Over time there were also buildings added to the city, Casino Nobile being the most prominent one. The site as we know it today is due to changes made in the late 18th century. It is the third largest park in Rome.
Strolling around Villa Borghese taking in sights as they come is a great way to spend the day. But if you are a person with purpose, you would likely want to make sure to check out art at the very famous Galleria Borghese, admire the gardens and architecture of the Villa Medici, perhaps float a boat in the lake surrounding the historic temple Tempio di Esculapio, explore the area around Fontana di Venere and absolutely NOT miss the Pincio Terrace. This is where the most fabulous VIEW of Rome can be found. Oh, and if you find walking around the big estate somewhat of a chore then there’s transport at hand. My companion and I did a tour with the park (tourist) train, but there are bicycles, electric paddle cars and segways to rent as well.
