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Villas and Gardens in Rome
Since its most ancient times, Rome
has been characterized by the presence of vast green areas.
Following the penetration of the Greek culture in the 2nd century
B.C., it became the vogue for rich and noble Romans to attach their
names to sumptuous gardens, called Horti. These fell into decline
with the crisis of the Roman Empire, and only a thousand years
later, during the fervor of the Renaissance, did they become one of
the most concrete symbols of the return to classicism.
Between the
16th and 18th centuries popes, cardinals and aristocrats vied with
each other to achieve the richest and most beautiful villas in Rome.
Unfortunately, during the 19th century many of these villas were
destroyed or altered to make way for the new quarters of Rome the
Capital. Nevertheless, today the city is still able to offer
numerous hectares of land used as public parks and gardens, where it
is possible to take pleasant walks, immersed in nature and history.
The itinerary begins with
Villa Doria Pamphilj which with around 180 hectares of land, is
the largest of the Roman villas.
The original nucleus was created in
the mid-17th century by Camillo Pamphilij, the nephew of Pope
Innocent X. The place was chosen because of its closeness to the
Vatican (an underground passage was also created, connecting the
most important building, the "Casino dell'Algardi", today the seat
of the Office of the Prime Minister, with St. Peter's Basilica), the
salubrity of the air, and the presence of water. In fact, the side running along the Via Aurelia Antica,
it is still possible to see the arches of the aqueduct built by the
emperor Trajan in the 2nd century and restored by Pope Paul V in the
early 1600s.
At one point the aqueduct crosses the
street with an arch nicknamed "tiradiavoli" (devil puller) because,
according to legend, it was here that a carriage driven by devils
and carrying the ghost of the sister-in-law of Pope Innocent X,
Olimpia Maidalchini, called "la Pimpaccia", would pass by. The name
of the terrible woman, hated by the Romans for her wickedness, is
also connected with the Fountain of the Snail, which originally was
meant to adorn the space in front of Palazzo Pamphilij in Piazza
Navona. The woman did not like the lovely shell, carved by Bernini,
judging it to be too small and modest, and sent it to the villa
outside the city walls, while on the piazza the splendid Fountain of
the Moor was installed instead. Coming out through the
Porta San Pancrazio, the scene of fighting between the French
and Garibaldi's men for the defence of the Roman Republic in 1849, along
we arrive at the
Piazzale Aurelio where, to the left, the
Promenade of the Janiculum begins. It was created starting in
1880 and dedicated to Giuseppe Garibaldi, an equestrian monument of
whom can be admired in the square carrying his name.
Slightly beyond, his courageous
companion Anita is also commemorated, while the 80 busts arranged
along the avenues portray heroes from Garibaldi's campaigns. From
the square, every day at noon, the hour is "announced" with the
firing of an Austrian-Hungarian cannon dating from World War I.
In addition to enjoying one of the
most spectacular views of the city, in Piazzale Garibaldi both old
and young can spend moments of fun watching the Teatrino di
Pulcinella, the amusing Punchinello's puppet show, held every
afternoon from 4 to 7 p.m., and on Saturday and Sunday mornings from
10.30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
For plant lovers, we recommend a visit to the "Orto Botanico"
(Botanical Gardens).
The gardens originate from the garden
for the cultivation of medicinal plants created in the Vatican by
Pope Nicholas III in the late 13th century. The present-day
botanical gardens were established in 1883 and contain over
3,500 cultivated species.
It is possible to admire the enormous
plane-tree that, with its age of 350-400 years, is one of the oldest
in Rome, or the bamboo collection, one of the most important in
Europe. Particularly noteworthy is the Garden of Fragrances, created
for the blind, with plants that can be perceived through the senses
of touch and smell.
From Piazzale Aurelio we go along the
Via delle Mura Gianicolensi, characterised by the powerful
17th-century city walls along it, until we reach
Via Calandrelli, where at no.26 we find the entrance to Villa
Sciarra.
In the early 19th century the last
owners, Mr. and Mrs. Wurts, transformed the park into a true
paradise, full of rare plants and embellished with an original
sculptural decoration coming from an 18th-century Lombard villa. The
enchanting place charmed and fascinated Gabriele D'Annunzio, who set
the duel of Andrea Sperelli, the protagonist of his novel Il piacere,
there. After crossing the Tiber, continuing along the Lungotevere
Aventino, we meet on the right the Clivo di Rocca Savelli, a
picturesque staircase leading directly into the little garden that
extends over the area where the fortress of the Savelli family stood
in the Middle Ages. The park is more well known as the
Garden of Orange Trees.
The citrus fruit plants in it were
placed here in 1932 in commemoration of the Spanish orange tree
brought to Rome by St. Dominic in 1220. This tree, according to
tradition the first planted in Italy, still miraculously exists in
the garden of the monastery of Santa Sabina and can be seen through
a hole in the wall of the church portico. At the end of
Via di Santa Sabina, descending towards the Circus Maximus, we
find the Municipal Rose Garden, one of the most beautiful in the
world, also thanks to the scenic context in which it stands.
The place was used as the Cemetery of the Roman Jewish Community
from 1645 to 1934, the year it was decided to change the area into a
public park. The secular cypresses presently lining the Via del
Circo Massimo recall the old use of the park. The rose garden was
founded in 1950 but, to sanction the bond that unites it to the
Roman Jewish Community, two steles, reproducing the tablets of
Moses, are arranged at the entrances of the two sectors, while the
avenues, as can be seen from atop the central staircase, were
designed in the form of a menorah, the seven-branched candelabrum
symbolising the Jewish religion.
After descending along the Via del Circo Massimo, and crossing
Piazza di Porta Capena, we go up to the Caelian Hill where, on
Via della Navicella, we find the entrance to Villa Celimontana,
created in the 16th century by the noble Mattei family.
In the past its fame was great not
only because of the beauty of the place, but also because of a
custom started by St. Philip Neri in 1552: during the pilgrimage to
the seven Jubilee basilicas, it was customary to stop at the villa,
where the Mattei family would offer the pilgrims a snack. It is said
that, in 1668, 6,000 persons participated. The main building of the
villa, today the seat of the Italian Geographic Society, is adorned
with 17th-century frescoes and precious Roman mosaics found in the
zone. To the left of the building, not very visible because of a
fence and scaffolding which have concealed it for many years now, is
a small obelisk from the time of Pharaoh Ramses II (13th-12th
century B.C.), which was once the greatest attraction of the villa.
The obelisk, found on the Capitoline Hill, was donated by the City
of Rome to Ciriaco Mattei in 1582, thus gaining the peculiar
distinction of being the only obelisk in a private collection.
If you would like to take a lunch
break, you might go to Via Ostilia where, at no. 23, you will find
Isidoro al Colosseo (06 70493462). The restaurant offers its clients
23 "tastes" of different first-course dishes!
To conclude the long walk, we can visit
Villa Borghese, which can be reached with the underground.
It is one of the most renowned villas
in Rome, ordered by Cardinal Scipione Borghese in the early 17th
century. The Roman poet Belli praised the generosity of the prince
who, in the late 19th century, allowed the people to gather in the
large Piazza di Siena for the famous "Festa dell Ottobrate", during
which there was singing, dancing, and food to eat. The most romantic
place on the villa grounds is undoubtedly the lake with its little
island dominated by the Temple of Aesculapius, the god of medicine,
erected in Ionian style in the late 18th century and embellished
with an ancient statue of the god. A modern overpass connects the
villa to the
Pincio, the first public garden planned in Rome as desired by
Napoleon, who would have liked to celebrate himself in the new
Jardin du Grand Cesar.
As suggested by Mazzini, 224 busts of
famous persons were installed throughout the park, but they have
been, and still are, too often the targets of vandalism. At the base
of the bust of astronomer Angelo Secchi there is a small hole
through which Rome's meridian passes. Another small obelisk, found
in the zone of Porta Maggiore, stands along one of the villa's
avenues. Unlike most of the Roman obelisks, it does not come from
Egypt, but was created in Rome for the emperor Hadrian, who
dedicated it to his beloved Antinous.
From the
Pincio, terrace, dedicated to Napoleon I, it is possible to
admire another renowned view of Rome, with the dome of St. Peter's
Basilica in the background.
Taking the ramp of the
Pincio we do down to the Piazza del Popolo, where we can have an
aperitif at Canova or Rosati, historic cafès of the capital, or eat
dinner at Bolognese (06 36 11426), to try their famous tagliatelle.
Practical suggestions: It is advisable to wear comfortable shoes and
clothing. Along the itinerary it is not easy to find bars or
refreshment stands, so it is a good idea to bring along snacks and
beverages.
Addresses:
Botanical garden Largo Cristina di Svezia 24 - 00165 - tel.
+39-6-68 64 193. Hours: Monday-Saturday 9.30 a.m.-4 p.m. (winter
hours); Monday-Saturday 9.30 a.m.-7 p.m. (summer hours). Admission
fee.
Municipal Rose Garden, Via dei Pubblici 3 - 00153 - tel. +39 65746810. The rose garden is open throughout the period the roses are
in bloom. Free of charge.
Courtesy of romaturismo.com Azienda Promozione Turistica Comune di Roma
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