The Top 5 Things To Do And See In Rome's Villa Borghese

Villa Borghese is situated in central Rome and supports 80 hectares of gardens and buildings. It features several attractions which cannot be missed for a thorough visit of the Italian capital. Nonetheless, it might be difficult to slot the whole park into a busy schedule, so here’s a selection of the 5 places you must see before leaving Rome.

At the Villa Borghese Museum and grounds

Galleria Borghese This is a museum which each and every tourist in Rome should visit. Amongst others it houses some of the awe-inspiring works of Bernini, a major Italian sculptor, as well as other splendid, albeit lesser-known paintings. The sheer décor of the exhibition rooms is worth seeing alone, let along the large collection of art masterpieces. Add a stunning environment and an enchanting building and you’ll realize there’s nothing you could wish this museum to have which it doesn’t already have. Opening Times: Tues – Sun 9:00 – 19:00, Monday closed Piazzale del Museo Borghese, 5, 00197 Roma
+39 06 841 3979

Villa Medici This beautiful, opulent palace has been housing the French Academy since 1803, but it dates back to the second half of the 16th century. It was commissioned by the Grand Duke of Tuscany Ferdinando de’ Medici and still bears the name of the Florentine dynasty. Despite being conceived as a museum with an art gallery, Villa Medici is nowadays a sumptuous Renaissance palace which attracts hundreds of tourists everyday from around the world. Opening Times: Tues – Sun 10:00 – 18:00, Monday closed Viale della Trinità dei Monti, 1, 00187 Roma +39 06 67611 Bioparco di Roma It is a great pleasure to walk around this beautiful ‘bio-park’, as the Italian suggests, whether you are looking for a little excursion with your children or if you want to steer off the beaten path of museums and grand palaces to see some fauna in a charming setting. The zoo contains over 200 animal species from five continents and is divided into different areas according to what species tourists want to see, so you can plan your excursion as you wish. Opening Times: January 1 to March 27: 9:30 to 17:00 March 30 to October 25: 9:30 to 18:00 October 26 to December 31: 9:30 to 17:00
Viale del Giardino Zoologico, 20, 00197 Roma
+39 06 360 8211

Passeggiata del Pincio Under pouring rain or a scorching sun, there is absolutely no reason why you should not visit this beautiful garden and stroll along the gravel paths lined with trees and busts of artists and writers of international calibre. It is a breath of fresh air, nothing better for your soul! Casina di Raffaello Dating back to the 16th century, this building is now a toy library for children between 3 and 10 years of age and it hosts readings and all sorts of activities for kids on a regular basis. Complete with a shop filled with books and toys for sale, there’s no better way to give kids (and parents!) a break from the hustle and bustle of Rome than Casina di Raffaello. Opening Times: from July 1 to August 2, 2015: Tuesday to Sunday and holidays from 10 to 19, Monday closed Summer holidays: from Monday 3 August to Monday 24 August; reopening Tuesday, August 25 Viale della Casina di Raffaello, 00197 Roma +39 06 0608 Luca Pinelli

About the author

Luca Pinelli

Luca is an Italian studying medieval and modern languages in England with a passion for food, art, and nature. He loves reading, writing, taking pictures and learning new things - and he always tries to advertize his city with poor results. Traveling is something Luca cannot do without, although he always feesl limited by the little time he has - he likes to do more stuff than he actually manages to do. Time generally slips through Luca's fingers and he hates that feeling. 24/7 books lover, he finds literature particularly appealing and loves having his head buried in books.