Villa Doria Pamphilj

Overview

Located high on the Janiculum Hill entirely outside the ancient city walls, Villa Doria Pamphilj holds the title of being the absolute largest landscaped public park in Rome. It is a wildly sprawling, deeply historical, intensely beloved green oasis.

Highlights

• The Casino del Respiro: A breathtakingly beautiful, brilliantly proportioned 17th-century palace sitting precisely in the center of the park, surrounded by massive, flawlessly manicured geometric hedge mazes.
• The Lake: A deeply peaceful, heavily shaded artificial lake located in the western half of the park, populated by dozens of swans and turtles.
• The Aqueduct: Brilliant, highly exposed arches of the ancient Traiana aqueduct (which still supplies water to the Vatican) cut directly through the pine trees.

History

This massive estate was the fiercely guarded, heavily manicured country retreat of the deeply powerful Pamphilj family. During the fiercely bloody Siege of Rome in 1849, the villa was the exact site of a massive, devastating battle between Garibaldi's republican troops and the invading French army. The City of Rome acquired the estate in 1971, opening it as a vast public park.

Visitor Tips

• The Locals: Unlike Villa Borghese (which is heavily touristed), this park feels deeply Roman. It is where locals fiercely come to jog, aggressively play amateur football, and host massive Sunday family picnics.
• Two Halves: Be aware the massive park is aggressively split perfectly in half by a deeply busy sunken road (Via Leone XIII). You must use the highly elevated pedestrian bridge to cross between the wilder western half and the manicured eastern half.