Villa Gordiani constitutes a brilliant example of the way nature and archaeology can mingle in an harmonious ensemble.
The Villa is an important gaming place for children and an essential meeting point for young and old people who love spending there their spare time. It is beautifully surrounded by Roman ruins that once belonged to the Gordiani’s, murdered in the III century.
In the park, better-known as the “Oasis of the Prenestina”, there is a mausoleum built with bricks. The building, with a circular shape and covered by a dome, is presented by a large staircase bringing to a portico adorned with columns.
The ruins, that once were a mausoleum, and the small early Christian basilica next to it, surmount the ruins of an ancient catacomb you are not allowed to visit today.

Villa Ada is situated near the most ancient of the Roman consular roads, Via Salaria, that is to say the salt road as it was connected to the commerce of this mineral that was imported from the Adriatico Sea. The road winded along the Tevere, towards the north and along its course several sepulchres are still visible; inside the villa there are some necropolis and Christian catacombs. That was because, according to Roman law, the corps must be buried in big graveyards outside the city walls. For a best utilization of the land, most graveyards were built underground, like the Catacombs of Priscilla on which the villa rests. The catacombs are formed by a multitude of galleries on two levels. A little basilica, decorated with third century frescoes, was added to the original Hypogeum, which belonged in the second century to the family of Acilii.
Today only the part of the villa between Parioli and Salario areas is open to the public; in the private area of the villa there are the Egiptian Embassy, the Royal Villa and Villa Polissena. The park was the private residence of Count Tellfner and his wife Ada and afterwards became the game preserve of Savoia Royal Family.

Villa Doria Pamphili is the greatest public park in Rome and was originally the country estate of a noble roman family. The oldest building, in the ancient Via Aurelia (n°183), is known as “old villa” and already existed when the estate was bought by Panfilo Pamphili. The new villa was built by Algari and Grimaldi between 1644 and 1652, under the pontificate of Pope Innocent X Pamphili. The rooms of the new villa were richly frescoed and decorated by a collection of statues today exhibited in the Capitoline Museums. Until the nineteenth century several modifications were made, like the opening of Via Olimpica which has divided the estate in two parts, allowing the access to urban traffic. The two parts of the park are linked by a flyover comma-shaped pedestrian bridge, designed by Massimo D’Alessandro. In 1856, after the war events of Roman Republic, the Villa was joined to Villa Corsini and the complex was transformed into a farm. After 1870 it was sold to the Rome Municipality and became a public park.

Considered one of the most important botanic gardens in Italy, it contains more than  8000 plants and dedicates about 1200 mq to a wonderful collection of orchids. It preserves meticulously rarities coming from all over the world, standing out among the single plants as monumental trees, flower-beds or flowers. You can admire all that walking through various paths and lanes following a signalled path, composed by a series of areas indicated with progressive numbers from 1 to 19. To make the visitor more interested to the itinerary, each area highlights particular species to be observed; that inevitably involves more those who are curious to discover forms of life both peaceful and silent, and essential for the existence and harmony of manhood. 

Built in 1639 by Francesco Maria Baratta, on the ruins of the Alsietine Acqueduct, this villa was the headquarters of Luciano Manara’s bersaglieri and later of Garibaldi’s who, after the 3rd of June, 1849, improvised and organized here his second defence line.

During the resistance, that lasted until the end of June, the building was seriously damaged by the French artillery. Today, obviously restored, Villa Spada is the seat of the Irish Embassy to the Holy See.

This “orange orchard“ from the Aventine hill opens as a terrace on the city, with its romantic features. At the same time, it was a strategic war posting, as told by the ancient walls surrounding it, that are an example of high medieval castle structures.

Stronghold of the Savelli’s, of the Popes Onorio III and IV till the XV century, it was from there that in 1849 cannons fired against the French positioned at Porta S. Pancrazio, in order to defend Rome.

The Mount Antenne is today a lush mount preserving the ruins of an ancient Roman military garrison (Antenne) and of a Latin city, and, given its 250.000 sqm of greenness, it represents an ideal park for having a walk or riding bike.

The Municipal Rose Garden of Rome is located near the Circus Maximus. Established in 1931on the Colle Oppio was destroyed during the Second World War.
In 1950 the municipality, with the agreement of the Jewish community, decided to recreate it where is located today: that was the place of the Jewish cemetery until 1645, then moved into an area of the Verano cemetery.
The paths that divide the flowerbeds trace the form of a candleholder with seven arms. In the garden you can see a plaque that commemorates the past destination of the garden.
In an area of about 10.000 mq, divided in two by a road, there are about 1.100 different species of roses. In one of the areas are hosted varieties that can trace the evolution of the rose from ancient times to today, divided between "botanical roses, old roses and modern roses."

The park is open to the public from May to October.

Villa Ada is situated near the most ancient of the Roman consular roads, Via Salaria, that is to say the salt road as it was connected to the commerce of this mineral that was imported from the Adriatico Sea. The road winded along the Tevere, towards the north and along its course several sepulchres are still visible; inside the villa there are some necropolis and Christian catacombs. That was because, according to Roman law, the corps must be buried in big graveyards outside the city walls. For a best utilization of the land, most graveyards were built underground, like the Catacombs of Priscilla on which the villa rests. The catacombs are formed by a multitude of galleries on two levels. A little basilica, decorated with third century frescoes, was added to the original Hypogeum, which belonged in the second century to the family of Acilii.
Today only the part of the villa between Parioli and Salario areas is open to the public; in the private area of the villa there are the Egiptian Embassy, the Royal Villa and Villa Polissena. The park was the private residence of Count Tellfner and his wife Ada and afterwards became the game preserve of Savoia Royal Family.

Villa Borghese is a large park in the city of Rome which includes different types of gardens, large areas of English style, buildings, small buildings, fountains and pools.
It is the third largest public park in Rome (about 80 hectares) and is located near the neighbourhoods of Pincio, Parioli and Flaminio.
The park contains several large buildings and has 9 entrances. The "Pincio" (corresponding to the hill), south of the park, offers a well-known panorama of Rome.
The building "Villa Borghese Pinciana”, seat of the Borghese Gallery, was built by Flaminio Ponzio, who developed the sketches of Scipione Borghese.
At the death of Ponzio, the works were completed by the Flemish Giovanni Vasanzio.

The building was designed by Camillo Borghese to accommodate the sculptures by Bernini, including the David and Apollo and Daphne, and Antonio Canova (Paolina Borghese) and paintings by Titian, Raphael and Caravaggio. Other buildings in Villa Borghese, on the side of Viale delle Belle Arti, were built on the occasion of the International Exposition of Art held in Rome in 1911 to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Union of Italy. The Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna dates back to this period.

In the villa there are also the Zoo recently transformed into Bioparco, the Museum of Zoology, the "Casina delle Rose" seat of the Casa del Cinema and the Cinema dei Piccoli, the smallest cinema in the world.
In 2003, was inaugurated the Silvano Toti Globe Theater, a reconstruction of Shakespeare's Globe Theater in London. The park hosts the equestrian competition Piazza di Siena.

The “Oasis of the Prenestina” and the Ruins of Villa Gordiani

Villa Gordiani constitutes a brilliant example of the way nature and archaeology can mingle in an harmonious ensemble.

The Villa is an important gaming place for children and an essential meeting point for young and old people who love spending there their spare time. It is beautifully surrounded by Roman ruins that once belonged to the Gordiani’s, murdered in the III century.

In the park, better-known as the “Oasis of the Prenestina”, there is a mausoleum built with bricks. The building, with a circular shape and covered by a dome, is presented by a large staircase bringing to a portico adorned with columns.

The ruins, that once were a mausoleum, and the small early Christian basilica next to it, surmount the ruins of an ancient catacomb you are not allowed to visit today.