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Between the 16th and 17th centuries each pope, cardinal and aristocratic family wanted to be the owner of the best villas in Rome, always surrounded by sumptuous gardens and huge parks, symbol of power and glamour. Even today, after so many centuries, in spite of a deep change in the town-planning, Rome can offer a lot of big green areas and public parks which still remain the best way to walk immersed in nature and history. |
Amongst the others, Villa Doria Pamphili is the biggest park of Rome, being around 180 hectares in size.. It was realized in the middle of the 17th century by the willing of Camillo Pamphili, nephew of the Pope Innocenzo X, in a Vatican nearby area, because of the salubrity of air and abundance of water due to an antique water-system.
From Porta San Pancrazio, scene of the terrible battle between French and Garibaldi’s troops, we get to Piazzale Aurelio which is the starting point of the Gianicolo, fabulous promenade where some monuments were placed along the avenues to commemorate Garibaldi and his braves. From Piazzale Garibaldi, the ideal place to enjoy one of the most spectacular views of Rome, every day at noon the hour is “announced” with the firing of an Austrian-Hungarian cannon dating from World War I.
A visit to the Orto Bonatico can also be very interesting: it was originally created to grow herbs and medicinal plants for the Pope Nicola III in the late 13th century. Nowadays it is possible to find more than 3500 cultivated species of plants, a relevant collection of bamboos, and a Garden of fragrances, especially created for blind people.
Villa Sciarra is an enchanting garden rich of rare plants and precious decorations, realized in the 19th century by a private family. This place fascinated the famous Italian writer and poet Gabriele D’Annunzio to the point that he decided to set there the duel of Andrea Sperelli, hero of his novel “Il Piacere”.
Walking along the river we find first the Giardino degli Aranci, a very romantic and characteristic corner of Rome, and then Villa Celimontana, realized in the 16th century.
It is very easy to get to Villa Borghese, the most famous villa, by underground: it was realized by Cardinal Scipione Borghese at the beginning of the 17th century. In the centre of a small lake there is a temple dedicated to Esculapio, the god of medicine, and this is the most romantic place of the villa. A modern overpass connects it to the Pincio, the first public garden planned in Rome, as wished by the Emperor Napoleon.
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