Parks in Rome and green areas in the historic centre

As the temperature rises with the onset of spring, tourists and Romans alike flock to Rome’s green spaces to sunbathe or relax in the shade. The city has a wealth of parks and gardens offering calm oases in the chaotic centre.

Villa Doria Pamphili

Among the largest of these is Villa Doria Pamphili, nestled high up on the Gianicolo hill. At about 1.8km, the garden is an ideal space for joggers as well as those seeking an open space to enjoy the sun. Even despite its size, on sunny weekend days the park becomes packed full with picnickers, children playing and teenagers hanging out. While it may not be the best place to escape the crowds on a warm Sunday afternoon, it’s an ideal spot for people watching and there is ample bench seating to do so.

Villa Sciarra

Further down the Gianicolo you can find the smaller and lesser-known Villa Sciarra. With a playground and plenty of drinking fountains, this compact park is ideal for children. Dotted around with statuettes of mythic figures and decorative fountains, it’s also the perfect place for a short walk in nature or to read a book in peace. For those intimidated by the larger parks, it’s easy to navigate and usually very quiet.

Orto Botanico

Also in Trastevere, the luscious Orto Botanico (Botanical Garden) offers coolness and shade. For horticultural enthusiasts and overheated travelers alike, the garden is a veritable Eden. To enjoy the blossoms at their most impressive, visit during late spring or early summer. A day’s visit is worth the entrance fee. The garden is closed on Sundays.

Circo Massimo

Just a short walk across the Tiber, you’ll find Circo Massimo. This old Roman hippodrome is a popular spot for young people to chill out year-round. Circo Massimo offers few trees for shade and in summer the grass tends to be more of a golden crisp than luscious green, but it’s a perfect place to soak up the sun in spring. In the evenings sit on the slope with a Peroni to enjoy the sunset. Because of its convenient location, Circo is an ideal space for dog-walkers, so check the grass before you sit!

Villa Celimontana

Not far from Circo Massimo, Villa Celimontana lies hidden. Although only a few minutes’ walk from the busy streets near Terme di Caracalla, Villa Celimontana offers a peaceful sanctuary. In the summer the park is the site of a series of jazz concerts and there are numerous exhibitions and performances year-round.

Villa Borghese

For those seeking green space after a day’s sightseeing or shopping on Via del Corso, the Villa Borghese garden is just a short walk from Piazza di Spagna or Piazza del Popolo. Even independently of the museums it houses, the garden is worth a visit and has become a popular tourist attraction in its own right. If you’re looking for an active day out, you can rent bicycles, peddle carts and paddle boats. The roads within the park tend to be busy with electric buses, cyclists and rollerbladers so it’s best to keep a close eye on children. Villa Borghese is usually teeming with activity but its size is such that it never seems overcrowded or hectic. Covering nearly 200 acres in the heart of Rome, Villa Borghese is a favourite place of Romans and visitors to the city. On mild late spring days, a walk along the paths crisscrossing the park is a perfect opportunity for relaxation, or romance, in natural surroundings. It is also a chance to reflect on the history of one of the city’s best-known and most important green areas. The whole length of the Valle dei Platani, from the Casa del Cinema in Largo Mastroianni and along Viale del Museo Borghese and Viale dell’Uccelliera, we can admire a perfectly preserved example of 17th-century rural landscape, with nine imposing plane trees dating from the early 1600s. These very rare trees from the East (the only certified platanus orientalis in Rome) are the most ancient in the city being over 400 years old. The plane trees were planted by Domenico Savini da Montepulciano, gardener to Cardinal Caffarelli Borghese, at the beginning of the 17th century, together with several other species of tree, as part of the ambitious project to create a “villa of delights” that the Cardinal pursued energetically as a means of demonstrating the power of his family. In Scipione Borghese’s sumptuous project, architecture, sculpture and painting would be in harmony with the surrounding nature. The architects Flaminio Ponzio and Giovanni Vasanzio were commissioned to design the Casino Nobile and Domenico Savini was in charge of organising the plants following a lay-out that is still discernable to this day.

The Rose garden (“Roseto comunale”)

The rose garden (“roseto comunale”) is a perfect place to relax with a wide-ranging variety of roses and a fantastic view of the Circus Maximus. In May is awesome because of its blooming! Free access.