Sometimes Rome can be a little overwhelming even for the most excited of tourists to manage. If you are visiting the city and you find the need to escape for some peace and quiet for a while, you can still combine that need with some sightseeing.

The Villa Borghese gardens provide the ideal escape for such an occasion. To call them gardens is to slightly miss the point on how big they are though; this area is actually a public park and it is the largest one of its kind in all of Rome. In a sense though, calling the area a park or a garden is a clue to its versatile history. In the past it was a vineyard, way back in the 16th century when it was first created.

Today though it is a place where everyone can come and enjoy the peace and tranquillity that the gardens provide. You will get your fair share of water here as well, since the middle of the park is taken up with a large lake. This was created some two centuries after the vineyard first took up residence here.

If you are nearby making your way up the Spanish Steps, you might be interested to know that once you make it to the top you will be very close to the Villa Borghese gardens. You’ll probably need a rest once you’ve negotiated all the steps so it’s the best possible time to do some exploring!

The name of the park comes courtesy of the Cardinal Scipione Borghese. He originally decided to get rid of the vineyard and transform it into a park in the very early years of the 17th century. This was clearly an excellent decision but even he may be surprised that his park is still being used and enjoyed some four hundred years later.

The Villa Borghese gardens are a key part of Rome and a pleasant green area to enjoy as well. It is easy to get caught up in the history of Rome from Roman times, but as you can see there is a lot more to it than that.