Villa Ada (Villa Savoia)

The Villa Ada (Villa Savoia) is the largest park in Rome covering an area of 182 hectares. It is located in the north-east part of the city.

Nowadays, it is commonly known as the Villa Ada but some sources still give the name Villa Savoia. This results from the fact that in the second half of the 19th century the area was a property of the Italian royal family of the House of Savoy (Casa di Savoia). Their residence was located in the park. Later on, the whole park became a possession of the duke Trllfren of Switzerland who named it after his beloved wife. Thereafter, the royal family regained the area in the beginning of the 20th century but did not change the name. The garden had been owned by the Savoy family until 1946.

Since 1994, in the Villa Ada a famous music festival "Roma incontra il monda" has been held every summer. It is a part of a movement commited to fight against racism, war and death penalty.

Since 2009, the majority of the park has been owned by the City Council, and the rest of it by the Egiptian Embassy. Recently, attempts have been made to make the whole park the property of Rome.

In the Italian part, there is an artificial lake and a dense forest with pines, oaks and laurus. One of the rare plant species found in the park are metaseqoia trees, brought here in 1940 from Tibet. In the park one can rent a bike, canoes, or ride a horse.