Villa y el parque Borghese

The Villa Borghese gardens is the second biggest park located in the very centre of Rome, Italy. It covers an area of over 80 hectares. The park was designed by the architect Flaminio Ponzio to complement the Villa Borghese located on the Pincian hill.

In 1605, the cardinal Scipione Borghese started a process of transforming old areas, which once used to be the Lucullus' vineyards, into the largest park Rome has ever known since ancient times. In the 19th century, the park and the villa became a property of the prince Camilloo Borghese, who created an art collection there. Most of the park, which at that time was an English garden, was granted the status of a scenic park. The gardens were bought by the city in 1903.

The park is characterized by its many buildings, stylized as ruins, the multitude of sculptures and statues, like The Arch of Septimio Severo. It is also worth mentioning that in the 17th century hundreds of trees were planted in the gardens in an ingenious manner, in between which there were a few dozen of sculptures by Pietro Bernini as well as fountains by Giovanni Fontana. There are many ponds located in the park, together with small lakes or water holes. In the garden, there is also the Casino Nobile, which, nowadays, houses the Museum and the Gallery of Borghese. Exhibitions of the museum come from a private collection of sculptures and paintings. In the garden, there is also the Temple of Diana, inside of which one can find the statue of Aphrodite.