Villa Borghese Gardens, Rome, Italy

The Villa Borghese Gardens date back to the early 17th century when Cardinal Scipione Borghese began turning his vineyard into the most extensive gardens in Rome. In the 19th century, the gardens were landscaped into the more natural English manner. The gardens were long informally opened to the public before they were bought, in 1903, by the commune of Rome. There are three main museums in the gardens:
- the Galleria Borghese, housed in the villa Borghese itself and containing sculptures by Bernini and paintings by Titian, Raphael and Caravaggio. Visit in the morning as tickets tend to be sold out by mid-afternoon;
- the villa Giulia, adjacent to the gardens where the Museo Nazionale Etrusco is located;
- the villa Medici, which houses the French Academy.
The garden contains other attractions, including the temple of Asclepius, the temple of Antoninus and Faustina and the Fountain of Seahorses. The temples dotted by the park were built according to classical models, made to look like ancient ruins.

Museo Nazionale Etrusco

Temple of Asclepius



Fountain of the Seahorses


Local: Villa Borghese, 00197 Roma, Itália

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