One of the biggest historical parks in Rome: Villa Doria Pamphilj
Villa Doria Pamphilj is one of the most important and impressive historical parks in Rome. It is the sole location of the Italian Government and it is characterised by the presence of the biggest public Roman park. We are talking about 184 hectares of green out of the city walls, in Gianicolo district.
The residence has the name of the noble family owned it for a long time, dispossessed in the 1900 century and here for us with all its beauty. Today it is a destination you can’t miss if you visit the eternal city, hosting a gallery of art rich in history and culture, with its famous and verdant gardens.
Let’s start the trip within the walls and the external area in Villa Doria Pamphilj park.
Villa Doria Pamphilj park: its history
We are talking about one of the best preserved parks in the city, one of the few still keeping its 1700s and 1800s features, despite the architectural changes.
Originally a countryside property of Doria Pamphilj family, bought by the forefather Panfilo at the beginning of the 1600 (1630), it was immediately characterised by a rich attention to the gardens design, by Tobia Aldini, together with the painters and the sculptors employed to enrich the countryside house.
In the first half of the 1800, the park hosted the battles for the Roman Republic: there are some witnesses about the French occupation as the following defense by Giuseppe Garibaldi troops and about Angelo Masina death and Mameli’s injuring (yes, we are talking about that one, the one who wrote the national Italian hymn).
After all these events, a new era started for the park, that got connected with the close Corsini park, becoming a big and innovative agricultural company. The story changes at the beginning of the 1900, when Comune di Roma dispossessed the property.
From 1957, step by step until 1971, the residence became a State property. Opened to the public in 1972, today it is property of everybody, loved by citizens and tourists. Only the funerary chapel is owned by the ancient family.
A journey in the heart of Villa Doria Pamphilj: its gardens
Doria Pamphilj residence was originally made of three parts: the house and the gardens, the part dedicated to agriculture and the pinewood. Today it is characterised by its beautiful garden. Since its built, this space showed its splendor and innovation: it is built on two orthogonal axes (one parallel and one orthogonal to the aqueduct) and crossed by a river flowing into a lake around an elliptic island. The garden is overall made of two parts, crossed by a street reaching an ancient cleft: for this reason, it is loved by bird-watching and jogging fans.
Art in the park: a journey around the gallery treasures
The park hosts an art gallery preserving the private collection of the Doria Pamphilj family. It is a very interesting experience for lovers of the 1700s atmosphere as you can still find the decorations of the time. The structure you can see nowadays is the result of 500 years of changes and joints and it is made of various parts: the Gallery of the mirrors, the Aldobrandini, the Doria, the Pamphilj galleries and the Giove, Primitivi, Aldobrandini, the Velluti, the Ballo and the Pussino rooms. The whole system is made of 4 branches facing on the internal renaissance court. The ticket for visiting the gallery is 12€ (full price) and 8€ (reduced tickets). It is open every day from 9am to 7pm (last entrance at 6pm). Early closure on 24th December (last entrance at 4pm); closed on 25th December, 1st January and on the Easter Day.
Real and virtual tours: the other places of Villa Doria Pamphilj
Let’s start a virtual tour in the Apartments rooms, where the nobles lived at the beginning of the 1600: there are very beautiful frescos on the roofs and the Sala del Trono. In the chapel, we can have a very real tour, the intimate place where the inhabitants of the house went to pray.
The room is richly decorated by a perspective painted roof, giving the sensation of the dome presence. Let’s end our tour in the most cultural place of the residence: the Archivio, where you can find all the documents of the family and so all the papers connected the Doria Pamphilj with the most important Italian families.
Visit Villa Doria Pamphilj: opening times and some information to reach it
Opening times change according to the season. From October to February, it is open from 7am to 6pm; in March and September it is open from 7am to 8pm and from April to August from 7am to 9pm.
You can enter it by via del Corso 305 (near Venezia square, from the Pantheon and Trevi fountain). You can easily reach it by feet if you are nearby or by bus from Termini station (bus 64, towards Venezia square in just 7 stops).
If you like travelling by underground there are two ways: Barberini stop, line A and any bus to via del Corso, crossing via Minghetti (62, 95,175, 492, 630); Colosseo stop, line B and any bus stopping at via del Corso crossing via SS. Apostoli (85, 850).
Villa Doria Pamphilj lies in an area restricted to traffic, so you can’t reach it by car.
Rome, eternal city and … parks
Villa Doria Pamphilj is not the only one park in Rome. There are many noble residences worth of a visit, as the ones in the area near the Quirinale, especially Palazzo Colonna, where you can find a gallery and the remains of the Serapide temple; the Pincio, under Villa Borghese and Villa Giulia, and Villa del Priorato di Malta on the Aventino.
There are some parks on the Celio, on the Esquilino, on the Palatino and Appia Antica. On the Gianicolo, where Villa Pamphilj lies, there are other 8 residences.
Do you want to stay in Rome?
For this location we recommend The Inn At The Roman Forum, a luxury residence in the center of Rome with a modern design.
