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Rome apartments - Villas and gardens in
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Villas and gardens in Rome
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Since its most ancient times, Rome has been characterised 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 fervour 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, along 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, 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 César.
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 cafés 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.
Municipal Rose Garden, Via dei Pubblici 3 - 00153 - tel. +39 6 5746810.
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