Villa Aldobrandini

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Villa Aldobrandini Park
Via Nazionale / Via Mazzarino
Rome, May 2019

“You might not be able to easily see the entrance to the park but that small elevation comes with the added bonus of great views once you do stumble upon the old gardens. The park can be found between Via Panisperna and Via Nazionale, with the only accessible entrance on a side street- Via Mazzarino. The villa takes its name from Cardinal Pietro Aldobrandini, who received it from his uncle Pope Clement VIII in 1601. The grounds were actually once much larger and stretched all the way to the Quirinale Palace. The villa was cut short and its gardens remodeled when Termini Station was built in the 19th century. The land was given over to make way for Via Nazionale to connect the train station to Piazza Venezia. The garden still retains its original layout but this is one of those sites in Rome where I just want to shake the city government! The park could be so beautiful but it is instead largely abandoned and left to its own scraggly devices. There are plenty of statues (replicas, in fact) without heads. There are also shady areas and lots of benches to take a break. Unfortunately, the once splendid botanical gardens are now fairly unkempt. You will still find pomegranate and other trees if you keep your eyes peeled. But the best part of Villa Aldobrandini is the view.” (Villa Aldobrandini Park, An American in Rome)