Villa Borghese is rightfully considered one of the most popular and famous Roman landmarks. Every year, many tourists visit this beautiful and historically interesting place.
The history of Villa Borghese
Villa Borghese is a huge park located on the Pincio hill near Piazza Popolo in Rome. This beautiful park was laid out in the 17th century on land belonging to the Borghese family. Marcantonio Borghese was from the richest patrician family. Deciding to move from Siena to Rome, he acquired in 1550 a huge plot of land on Mount Pincho. In 1612, he commissioned the construction of the family villa to the architect Flaminho Ponzo. He agreed and began construction, but completed the project by Giovanni Vasano after the death of his predecessor. Years later, this territory became the property of King Umberto I, who after a while donated it to the city. Now Villa Borghese is one of the three largest urban parks in Rome.
Attractions in Villa Borghese
The total area of the park is about 80 hectares. On its territory are located:
- the historic building of the villa;
- National Etruscan Museum;
- Roman Biopark;
- Villa Medici;
- Gallery of Contemporary Art;
- Zoo museum;
- Globus theatre;
- Casa Cinema;
- hippodrome;
- artificial lake;
- Pincho Gardens.
There are many different monuments, fountains and sculptures in the park. For the convenience of visitors, signs and information stands have been installed throughout the territory. The very historic building of the villa delights with its scale and beauty. It now houses the Borghese Art Gallery. It presents the works of the greatest sculptors and artists of Italy: Botticelli, Bellini, Caravaggio, Raphael, Rubens, Titian and others. The collection has been meticulously assembled over the years by the Borghese family and includes about 600 paintings.
In the gallery of modern art, you can see truly world masterpieces of masters of the 18-19 centuries. Here are the works of Fontana, Pirandello, Mastroiani, Carr.
The Globus Theater, named after Silvano Toti, is very popular with visitors. It was built in 2003, is in the shape of a circle and can accommodate about 1600 spectators.
You can also visit Villa Julia in the park. It was built according to the design of Barozzi in 1551-1553. Now it houses the National Etruscan Museum. It presents collections of Etruscan gold and bronze found during archaeological excavations in the Lazio region.
The "small fortress" or the Pietro Canonica Museum deserves special attention. He is a famous sculptor who once participated in the reconstruction of Villa Borghese. The museum exhibits sculptures by Pietro Canonica, among which there are statues of Russian tsars.
Also on the territory of Villa Borghese are the Biopark and the Zoological Museum, the hippodrome and an artificial lake, in the center of which there is an imitation of the Greek temple of Aesculapius. You can just walk in the park, enjoying the wonderful natural landscapes and landscapes. For outdoor enthusiasts, there is a bicycle and scooter rental service.
Opening hours, ticket prices and visiting hours of all properties located on the territory of Villa Borghese can be found on the official website (www.galleriaborghese.it). Usually the park accepts visitors from Tuesday to Sunday (from 9.00 to 19.00), Monday is a day off.
Park address: Rome, Piazza del Popolo. You can get to Villa Borghese by metro - station Spagna (line A) or by buses (no. 5, 19, 52, 53, 63, 86, 88, 92, 95, 116).
