Villa Borghese: A Break from the Bustle of Rome

After two full days of intense tourist activities, I decided it was time for a bit of a break. I started my day by strolling around the grounds of the Villa Borghese. The gardens here are immense, making it the largest public park in Rome. It’s comparable to New York City’s Central Park, complete with families playing on swing sets, vendors selling gelato, and worn out tourists looking to relax for a bit. I absolutely loved spending my morning here. It was easily the most relaxed morning up to that point, and I loved discovering all the fountains and statues tucked away all over the grounds. You could actually spend most of your day on the grounds if you wanted to as there’s a museum and a zoo on the grounds as well.

The gardens of the Villa Borghese were my favorite part of the grounds, partially because I’d never seen a lemon or orange tree before. I don’t know what type of lemons they were growing though, because I saw some that were the size of a softball! The grounds have a gorgeous overlook of the city and you can walk down to the Piazza del Popolo from there as well.

After a morning in the park, I wandered about Rome with various piazzas and fountains vaguely in mind. The great thing about Rome is that there’s always something to see. Just when you think you’ve escaped “the touristy part” of the city, you find yourself in another crowded square. I personally love this aspect of Rome because I never feel like I have to have a set destination in mind. Throughout the afternoon, I stumbled upon the Spanish Steps (I actually wasn’t sure if they were the steps or not. I had to double check my map). The Steps were pretty, but I’m not exactly sure how they’ve become a “must see” in Rome. They were nice to sit on, but other than getting a break from walking I wasn’t over the moon about them.

On the other hand, I LOVED Piazza Navona. With a huge obelisk rising out of the center fountain and surrounded on all sides by street vendors and tourists, this piazza is definitely a place I’d revisit. It was such a beautiful square, and it had three fountains in total (the center fountain stole the show though). On one side of the piazza is Sant’Agnese in Agone, a beautiful Baroque-style church that is worth visiting. I actually entered this church on a whim, not really expecting much as the outside sort of blends into the surrounding buildings. Once inside, I was floored. It’s a small space, but the vaulted ceilings and ornate decor give it a certain majestic air that’s singular to churches of this time period.

I revisited Piazza del Popolo later in the day as well, and although it doesn’t rank as high as Piazza Navona in my book, I still loved seeing it. Piazza del Popolo is much more open than Piazza Navona, and is a better place to visit if you’re looking to just sit down for a while. While there, I enjoyed watching a man blow huge bubbles for a crowd of excited children and later on seeing a Michael Jackson impersonator give a brief performance.

I also saw Trevi Fountain, but it’s under construction until the end of the year so I had to admire it without water. On the plus side, I bet there aren’t very many people who can say they’ve seen Trevi Fountain up close and personal before! With the help of scaffolding and a ramp set up courtesy of the city, that is…

Day three in Rome was a definite success! Which of today’s sights would you most like to see? Don’t forget to like TGBW on Facebook and Bloglovin‘ and visit my ‘About’ page for my other social media platforms!

Signing off,

Claire

Check out my other adventures in Rome:

• Day 1: Vatican City
• Day 2: Roman Forum and Colosseum