A little bit “The Notebook”
Today we make a trip to Rome to the Villa Borghese.
When I came to this place, a picture immediately came into my head: Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams in a canoe on the lake. The scene from the movie "Wie ein einziger Tag" (OT: "The Notebook") probably knows almost everybody. For my generation, the whole film is the epitome of romance
And this place is also quite romantic, and the atmosphere there fascinated me so much that I would like to tell you a little bit about it today.
Villa Borghese
The small lake is located in Rome and belongs to Villa Borghese. However, the Villa Borghese is not a villa at all, as one first suspects. Because "Villa" is the Italian word for city park. It is located directly north of the city centre and can hardly be missed on the map. It is valid with its 5 km2 as one of the most beautiful green spaces in the city. In it there are not only some temples and fountains, but also a zoo and a museum with an art collection worth seeing. And of course the little lake I was talking about in the beginning.
After having walked the whole day through Rome and explored the many churches, squares, obelisks and other sightseeings, one probably also wants to have a little rest. At least that's how my family and I felt when we visited Rome a few weeks ago. So we were on our way to Villa Borghese to get some nature and relax. But the park is not only popular with tourists - the Romans themselves also like to spend their free time there.
History
At the beginning of the 17th century, the present complex was once the country estate of the noble Borghese family. There were stables, gardens, vineyards and enclosures with rare animals. Water games were also held there. Cardinal Borghese made the park accessible to the public even then. He was a passionate art collector, and his private collection can be seen today in the park's own museum, the Galleria Borghese. After the Cardinal's death, his heirs had the estate converted into an English Garden at the end of the 18th century, thus giving the park its current appearance.
View over the city
The park has several entrances, but most of the visitors are probably attracted to Villa Borghese via the right adjacent Piazza del Popolo. From there, one climbs over some steps up to the hill Pincio, on which the park is built. Due to this elevated position, a wonderful panorama stretches out in front of you. From there, one does not only see the Piazza del Popolo, but also the St. Peter's Basilica and some further sightseeings of Rome.
Laghetto di Villa Borghese
Of course the park has some nice corners and it is definitely worthwhile to explore the whole park. But one part that should not be missed is the artificial lake Laghetto di Villa Borghese that reminded me so much of the scene from "The Notebook".
On a small island on the lake there is an Asclepius temple dedicated to the god of healing. Inhabitants of the lake are not only ducks and geese, but also many small turtles, which can be discovered at every corner of the lake.
And if you want to get even more "The Notebook" feeling, rent a rowing boat and explore the lake with it
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