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High above the famous Spanish Steps and the wide spread Piazza del Popolo there is a panorama that stretches all the way across the top of the pointy roof tops and steeples of Rome’s centre.
  So many memories of mine lay rested in the serene park of Villa Borgese. Every day my early morning get up and go started with a run or walk through Villa Borghese when there was not a soul in sight, as I approached the cross roads to the paths that lead through to the open stretched pathways, the breeze often swept through me and I was able to escape the tooting horns and chaotic normal every day tourist swamped streets of Rome.
Appropriate for lovers who may be about to visit Rome approaching Valentines Day, this is the park where lovers meet of all ages, regularly though for young lovers who have nowhere else to go on weekends to be alone together, even though they are not really solely alone because every other park bench opposite or next to them also supports a similar scene, yet in a world of their own its the place where they can be entwined closely together sharing gelato, cups of soda or just lots of smooching and dozing the lazy day away insieme!
 Villa Borghese is large and on the weekends there are loads of activities, there is a movie cinema that in the Summer months features an outdoor seated screening of many different films in Italian. Sometimes on the weekends rollerbladers perform spectacular air born stunts flying over each others backs and speeding through legs to give onlookers a thrill.
Merry-go-rounds often have a presence in two areas of the park where stand holders sell gelato and balloons for the children and there is a lovely little cafe with a seated area under the shade of the trees to enjoy lunch on a warm day or stand at the bar inside to devour one of the delicious chocolate, custard or jam filled cornetto’s with a cappuccino for breakfast, my mouth is watering now just thinking about it. Just down from the cafe is a puppet show for the kiddies and there are an abundance of incredible fountains that flow in little shaded areas of the park. Just perfect for sitting and relaxing for a moment during the day.    There are two sides to the park with one that rises high above and overlooks the centre of Rome and then the other side that backs onto one of Rome’s more affluent suburbs Parioli, this side of the park looks over onto the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea or the National Gallery of Modern Art in Rome.
Something fun to do here is hire a Bici Pincio which is an open two or four seated bicycle with a small peddle motor and zoom around the park hysterically laughing and sometimes out of control. This is a fun thing to do and its not just the kids who will have all the fun!
 Overlooking Piazza del Popolo with the one of the best views in Rome stands Casina Valadier which is restaurant in an immaculate garden setting with very high prices yet when it comes to enjoying ones self when on holiday and when in Rome, why not dine in style overlooking the historical city beneath the shady trees in this beautiful park.
   If I haven’t quite talked you into a visit to the refined gardens of Villa Borghese yet then maybe this will do it. You must have gathered by now that the park is quite large, there are two sides to the park divided by a road named Viale San Paolo del Brasile, on the far side that backs down onto Parioli also stands one of Rome’s more unique art galleries, GALLERIA BORGHESE ! The dramatic gallery sits elegantly right in the heart of the park with statues and sculptures that have been in the gallery since 1838 and I can’t imagine a more peaceful or serene and comfortable place to visit for a day, backing onto the gallery are more superb gardens that fence in the stables of the horses belonging to the Carabinieri (police force) of Rome and inside breathtaking collections of artworks line the walls of the gallery.
   Another attraction and great in the evenings is a live amphitheatre called the Globe Theatre , of coarse all stage performances are in Italian, a few years back they renovated the theatre and its now a wonderfully restored round timber stage just like the one in ‘Romeo and Juliet’, a fabulous experience.
 Every corner you turn you will discover a historical monument, sometimes a little spooky yet they will always manage to capture your attention for more than the time that you expect, its best not to put a time frame on your visit to the wonderful gardens of Villa Borghese.
    I could spend hours talking to you about these features and many others that exist in Rome’s Villa Borghese yet its best you go and visit it for your self and take home your own experiences.
Villa Borghese is possibly the closest to my heart of all the places to visit when in Rome.
Enjoy the journey!
x
Melissa – Founder of Italian Allure Travel Pty Ltd
All photo’s copyright Melissa Martin
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