The park of Villa Doria Pamphilj is the largest landscaped park in Rome, dotted with fountains, gardens and statues at seemingly every corner. A welcome respite from the bustle of such a busy city for locals as well as tourists, it’s the perfect place to take some time to just wander around.
Some History
What is known as Villa Doria Pamphilj is actually the entire estate, which includes the 184 hectares of Rome’s largest public park. The estate was the property of the patrician family of the same name, who had begun to climb through the ranks of the Roman aristocracy when one of their own had become pope with the name of Innocent X, around the mid-17th century. Nobleman Panfilo Pamphilj acquired the land that is now part of the park around 1630 and immediately put his architects to work, intending for this place to become the family’s country retreat – since back then it was located a good distance away from the city walls. In time, the estate was acquired by the Italian state in 1957, who opened it to the public in 1971 – after having "cut it" in two to allow a motorway to run through it.
Casino del Bel Respiro
Since the whole estate belongs to the Italian state, it’s no surprise that some parts of it have also been used for official ceremonies. That’s the case for the Casino del Bel Respiro, a smaller residence inside the larger area of the villa, so called because of the generally pleasant air that you can enjoy here as opposed to the chaos of the city center. The Casino officially belongs to the Italian government and is used as a reception venue for visiting foreign dignitaries. While it is technically possible to visit its interiors instead of just admiring its baroque-style facade, doing so is particularly tricky. Opening days are scarce and usually happen only once a month, which means that even if you happen to be in the city when the Casino opens to visitors, your best bet is to book way ahead to make sure you can reserve a spot.
Gardens, Fountains & Theatres
The vast green expanse of Villa Doria Pamphilj hides an impressive collection of fountains and statues, as well as a grand variety of plants and trees – as one might expect from such a large park. Along its avenues, most of which are named after women, both Italian and foreign, like Artemisia Gentileschi and Simone de Beauvoir, you can find the Anfiteatro and the Giardino del Teatro, which once hosted open-air plays and concerts. And then there is the myriad of fountains.
The Fontana di Venere and the Fontana di Cupido are not too far from the Casino del Bel Respiro, while the Fontana del Giglio, representing the lily that was the Pamphilj’s heraldic symbol, sits at one end of the little Lago Belvedere. On the easternmost corner of the park, you can also find the colorful Arco dei Quattro Venti, which serves as a sort of entryway into the villa itself.
