A Tree Museum in the Center of Rome
A journey to discover characteristic elements of a green area in the heart of Trastevere, the historic district in the center of Rome.
The Botanical Garden of Rome
Historical garden, living museum, open-air laboratory but also an urban green area in which visitors can relax and enjoy nature. The Botanical Garden of Rome is all this and much more.
The Living Chapel 3 (2021-04-23) by UnkonwnMuseo Orto Botanico di Roma
The Living Chapel
Before going along the paths that run through the 12 hectares of the Botanical Garden, let's take a look at the Living Chapel. This "living" work, set up in June 2020 next to the entrance of the Botanical Garden, is inspired by the chapel of the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Assisi.
The Living Chapel (2021-04-23) by UnkonwnMuseo Orto Botanico di Roma
Originated from an idea of the composer Julian Darius Revie, the installation is made of recycled aluminum with an irrigation system powered by solar panels and with an incessant cycle of water drops that nourish the vegetation.
The Living Chapel 2 (2021-04-23) by UnkonwnMuseo Orto Botanico di Roma
An harmonious space that aims to make people care about their common home, the Earth.
Palm Collection - Tritoni Fountain (2021-04-23) by UnkonwnMuseo Orto Botanico di Roma
The Palms Avenue
Our virtual tour of the Botanical Garden starts from this large avenue that crosses the Palms Collection. This collection hosts over 100 specimens belonging to forty different species. It is one of the first collections planted out in 1883, when the Botanical Garden opened.
Tritoni Fountain (2021-04-23) by UnkonwnMuseo Orto Botanico di Roma
Tritons Fountain
Bright element of the formal garden, this fountain was built by Giuseppe Poddi, who probably took the tritons of the contemporary Trevi Fountain as a model. In this place, once surrounded by laurel arches, the Corsini family used to hold literary meetings in the summer.
Greenhouses
The Botanical Garden hosts several greenhouses, whose construction traces the entire history of the garden. The first you come across is the small French greenhouse, now dedicated to South African succulent species.
Then there is the monumental greenhouse (1877) and the Corsini greenhouse, the ancient (XIX th century) and also dedicated to succulent species. The list is finally completed by the tropical greenhouse, the most recent one, where species from the rainforests are cultivated.
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Janiculum hill
After leaving the Triton Fountain, you can walk along the slope of the Janiculum hill.
Ferns' Valley (2021-04-23) by UnkonwnMuseo Orto Botanico di Roma
The Ferns Valley
This area, sited in a damp and shady valley, is home to 18 species of ferns. It is a very suggestive place, a sort of urban forest in the heart of Rome.
Bamboo collection (2021-04-23) by UnkonwnMuseo Orto Botanico di Roma
The Bamboo collection
This is probably one of the most peculiar collections of the Botanical Garden. It includes dozens of different species of Bamboo, from dwarf ones to giant bamboos, which are over 20 meters high. Visitors are not allowed to walk inside it, so as not to damage the shoots.
At the end of the climb, let's turn around. From here you can enjoy a unique view of one of the best known sites of Rome, the Acqua Paola Fountain, also called the Fontanone del Gianicolo.
The rock garden
This glimpse shows us how the Botanical Garden is perfectly set into the Rome landscape. The monumental fountain of the Acqua Paola, on the Janiculum hill, stands above the rock garden, which hosts Mediterranean plant species.
Japanese Garden
Let’s continue our tour and reach the Japanese Garden, on the top of the Botanical Garden. Built between 1990 and 1994 by architect Takeshi "Ken" Nakajima, the garden attracts thousands of visitors in April, when the ornamental cherry trees blossom.
However, every season has its own beauty: in autumn you can enjoy the scarlet leaves of Japanese maples, while at the end of winter the white flowering magnolias such as Magnolia stellata.
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Once you leave the Japanese garden, the path goes down along the other side of Janiculum Hill.
Staircase of the Eleven Fountains
The path flanks the Staircase of the Eleven Fountains, designed by Ferdinando Fuga in 1742, before the Botanical Garden's foundation.
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Mediterranean Wood
Here you enter the Mediterranean Wood, a valuable splinter of the spontaneous vegetation of Rome. Since ancient times, prior to the foundation of Rome, the Janiculum Hill has hosted woods of evergreen species similar to the one still present today, which is dominated by the Holm oak (Quercus ilex L.).
Garden of Simplicity
Let’s now visit the Garden of Simplicity. Even though its location is hidden, a stop here is a must. In fact, the raised brick flower beds house over 270 plant species containing active ingredients with healing properties.
Each species grown in the Garden of Simplicity is equipped with a tag on which, in addition to the usual information (family, genus, species and distribution range), the curative properties and the parts of the plant used for therapeutic purposes are reported.
Moving towards the exit, let's stop for a while to admire one of the most imposing monumental trees of the Botanical Garden.
Quercus suber L. - Cork Oak
A monumental Cork Oak, one of the largest trees in the Botanical Garden, stands in front of the Orangery. It was planted before 1883, when the university botanical garden was inaugurated, in what was then the garden of the Villa Corsini.
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Leaving the Botanical Garden, we can take one last glance at the Cavallerizza area, whose name is due to the namesake area of the Palazzo Riario-Corsini.
See you on your next tour
Botanical Gardens are living museums. They change over time and during the seasons. We therefore invite you to come back to discover our collections in different times of the year: we are sure they will always give you unique emotions!
Giulia Torta, post graduate trainee at the Botanical Garden of Rome
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