I arrived in Rome with the family, finally. After several business trips and telling them of the opportunities to see here , they wanted to come. Therefore, I obliged and took them all here by airplane Nantes, Roissy CDG, and Rome’s Fiumicino. It was a very nice family trip and we packed a lot of sights into it. However, one of the best if not the best was the visit to Villa Borgnese a heaven in Rome!! Let me tell you a bit about it and hope you enjoy it as I.
I am back nostalgia sets in on our family trip to Rome ,Italy. We walked a lot and came by airport bus right into our rental apartment by Nomentano, near metro Bologna. One of the most pleasant trips was to the Villa Borghese park a wonderful ,and a must visit while in Rome for all
The Villa Borghèse is a municipal park of 80 hectares or about 198 acres in Rome. It has a large group of buildings on the cultural nature as well as museums i The gardens of Villa Borghese were done following the plans of Cardinal Scipione Borghese to enhance the town and to house his art collection. In 1605 he ordered transformed a vineyard into luxurious gardens fed by several fountainsL This is the most important park in Rome since the Antique period. The whole of the Villa Borghese was finished in 1633 . The current gardens dates from the 19C and done in the English style. The park was purchased by the Italian government in 1901 and given to the city of Rome in 1903 to be open to the public.
As it is a long story as I go along will post the relevant webpages. First, the area we stayed Nomentana: https://www.rome.info/nomentana/
It houses numerous institutions of great renown and value such as the French Academy of Rome since 1803 and known as Villa Médicis The Villa Médicis was done around 1564 replacing the old gardens of Luculius . The villa is acquired in 1576 by the Cardinal Ferdinand de Médicis that until 1587 (when he becomes the Grand Duke of Tuscany) had done to house his collection of antique arts, several bronces and several portraits. webpage: https://www.villamedici.it/en/
Other important building and center , to me the main one is the Galeria Borghese, a museum exposing great work of art going back in time from the collection of Cardinal Scipione Borghese. The casino ,the main building of the villa, has lost most of the stucco decoration which framed ancient statues and reliefs. In 1807, Prince Camillo Borghese sold or was invited to sell to Napoleon I his brother in law, the collection of antiquities which decorated the interior and exterior of the building. webpage: https://www.gebart.it/musei/galleria-borghese/
You have, also, the National Etruscan Museum of the Villa Giulia , you guessed works of arts before Roman times or Etruscans. ; the Villa Giulia adjoining the Villa Borghese gardens was built in 1551 – 1555 as a summer residence for Pope Julius III now it contains the Etruscan Museum. webpage: https://www.turismoroma.it/en/places/etru-museo-nazionale-etrusco-di-villa-giulia
The National Gallery of contemporary and modern arts, the largest of its kind in Italy. webpage: https://lagallerianazionale.com/en/
Animal biodiversity in a zoological civic museum .webpage: https://www.museodizoologia.it/contatti/
Pietro Canonica Museum , sculptor and composer, housing his collection. webpage: https://www.turismoroma.it/en/places/pietro-canonica-museum
The Carlo Bilotti Museum , an Italian American collector who gave his collections to the city of Rome and is house in the Orangery of the Villa Borghese. webpage: https://www.turismoroma.it/en/places/carlo-bilotti-museum
The Bioparco, one of the oldest zoo in Europe inside Villa Borghese. webpage: https://www.bioparco.it/
Villa Lubin inside Villa Borghese at Via di Villa Lubin, 2 it open in 1908 and until 1945 was the seat of the international institute of agriculture that is now FAO or the United Nations Food and Agriculture organisation ; Since 1959 is the seat of the National Council on Economy and Labor or CNEL. Rome tourist office on Villa Lubin: https://www.turismoroma.it/en/node/1736
The Silvano Toti Globe Theater was built identical to Globe theatre of London the most famous of the Elizabethian period, the theatre here was built in 2003. webpage: https://www.globetheatreroma.com/
The Church Santa Maria Immacolata at the piazza di Siena inside Villa Borghese . Built end of 18C for orders of Prince Marcantonio Borghese. Part of the complex of Casina di Raffaello; renovation were done in 1826. webpage: https://www.turismoroma.it/en/places/chiesa-rettoria-do-santa-croce-alle-scalette-chiesa-di-santa-croce-alla-lungara
The Casina di Raffaello with lots of kids activities in a renovated old mansion. webpage: http://www.casinadiraffaello.it/?page_id=8
You see the wonderful Pincio Water clock , still going strong from 19C engineering. The Pincio is a hill on the north of the Quirinal that dominates the Campo di Martes with several villas including Villa Borghese where you have the clock. The clock has four quadrants ideally recalling the trunk of a tree and allowing it to show the time in four different directions, to note his hands in the shape of tree branches to make this structure an architectural element almost natural in perfect harmony with Villa Borghese.
The temple of Diane is a small circular kiosk in the neo classic style and built in 1789 upon orders of prince Marcantonio IV Borghese. By Viale della Casina di Raffaello. All over the park you find wonderful creeks, and flower decoration, . Some of the more remarkable in my opinion are the one honouring Umberto I, son of king Victor Emmanuel II the first king of an unified Italy. King Emmanuel III succeeded but abdicated in 1946 and was follow by Umberto II but he abdicates a month later so becoming the last king of Italy. There is a monument to Goethe, the poet novelist and drama writer , and politician of Germany. Also a statue to George Gordon Byron or lord Byron done in the 19C. OF course, not all on pictures. From the French Academy on the viale del Belvedere you have a wonderful view of Rome on the Campo Marzio, and perpendicular to the viale della Magnolia with a nice park for children and a magnificent restaurant I had tried on a business trip to dream in Rome , La Casina Valadier. Resto webpage: https://casinavaladier.com/en/
The Rome tourist office on La Casina Valadier restaurant in English: https://www.turismoroma.it/en/places/casina-valadier
The Rome Tourist Office on Villa Borghese park: https://www.turismoroma.it/en/places/villa-borghese-park
There you go folks as said a wonderful park in a huge historically renown city of Rome. I told you, it is huge we could not walked all and came back twice to it while there, so many monuments and buildings to see. My next trip will stay close to it and go at it again. Enjoy it and do visit when in Rome.
And , remember for happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 
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