Orto Botanico

Formerly the private grounds of Palazzo Corsini, Rome’s 12-hectare botanical gardens are a little-known gem and the perfect place to unwind in a lush green, tree-shaded expanse covering the steep slopes of the Giancolo. Plants have been cultivated here since the 13th century, but in their present form, the gardens were established in 1883, when the grounds of Palazzo Corsini were given to the University of Rome. They now contain up to 8,000 species, including some of Europe’s rarest plants. You will find an avenue of dizzying palms, fountains, nature-worn sculptures and Mediterranean, rose and Japanese gardens. There are also some beautiful old glasshouses and an impressive bamboo plantation, as well as a garden with 300 types of medicinal plants (Giardino dei Semplici), a collection of cacti, and an aroma garden (Giardino degli Aromi).