The Borghese Gardens neighborhood offers a bit of respite from busy Roman streets, but it’s still close enough to some of the city’s top sights that you won’t feel too far from the action. Plus, there are two Metro stops in the area, and it’s well-served by lots of bus lines, so you can get into the historic center pretty easily.
There are several named neighborhoods that surround the gardens (such as Campo Marzio, Trieste Salario, Ludovisi and Parioli), so you may see local references to these names as well as the Borghese Gardens neighborhood more generally.
Major Attractions
Villa Borghese Gardens
The main attraction in the Borghese Gardens neighborhood is, unsurprisingly, the Borghese Gardens itself. It’s Rome’s third-largest public park at nearly 200 acres, and is a much-loved green space for locals and visitors alike. There are several villas located in the park, including the Villa Borghese, as well as a zoo, a lake, a carousel, fountains, sculptures, cafés and monuments. Rent a bike, have a picnic and enjoy an idyllic slice of Roman life.
Spanish Steps
The official name of this famous Roman staircase is the Scalinata di Trinità dei Monti, or the little staircase to the Trinità dei Monti church at the top, but nearly everyone calls them the Spanish Steps for the Spanish Embassy to the Vatican that sits near the bottom. At the base of the steps, you’ll also find a very pretty 17th-century fountain, the Fontana della Barcaccia.
Piazza del Popolo
The Piazza del Popolo is a huge pedestrian-only public square in Rome (though it’s roughly oblong in shape) with an Egyptian obelisk at its center. Several churches open onto the piazza, including the one from which the square takes its name: Santa Maria del Popolo. There, you can see in situ masterpieces by Caravaggio, as well as works by Raphael and Bernini.
Via Veneto
Arguably the grandest street in the area, Via Vittorio Veneto is the place to be if boutique shopping is on your itinerary. The street served as the setting for Fellini’s iconic film, La Dolce Vita, forever cementing it in the minds of moviegoers as synonymous with Roman glamor. Sidewalk cafés embrace the “see and be seen” vibe wholeheartedly, and the menus often have price tags to match.
Capuchin Crypt
Located underneath the Santa Maria della Concezione Church on Via Veneto is the Capuchin Crypt, a series of five small chapels that were quite literally decorated with the bones of nearly 4,000 Capuchin friars in the mid-17th century.
Address: Via Vittorio Veneto 27, 00187 Rome
Website: https://www.museoecriptacappuccini.it/
Mausoleum of Augustus
Rome’s first Emperor, Octavian Augustus, had this tomb built for himself and his family in the 1st century BCE. After centuries of disrepair and neglect, the mausoleum is being restored. The inside is currently off-limits at the moment as the restoration work continues, but you can see the exterior.
Pincio Terrace
This pretty green space sits above the Piazza del Popolo, sandwiched between the square and the Borghese Gardens, and it’s one of the best places in Rome to get a view over the city’s skyline. The Pincio is an especially popular spot at sunset.
Gates in the Aurelian Walls
Several of the gates in Rome’s old city walls remain, even if most of the walls are long gone. You can see a few of them around the Borghese Gardens neighborhood, including Porta Pinciana, built in the 5th century, and the elaborately decorated Porta Pia, designed by Michelangelo and constructed in the 16th century.
Villa Ada
Rome’s second-largest public park, Villa Ada sits northeast of the Villa Borghese Gardens. There’s a lake where you can rent canoes, and you can also rent bicycles or go horseback riding in the park. You can also visit a World War II-era bunker built for the Italian King and Queen in 1940.
Museums
Galleria Borghese
The Villa Borghese houses one of the finest art galleries in Rome, and indeed the world: the Galleria Borghese. The collection was started by a cardinal in the powerful Borghese family who was also a patron of the arts, including the likes of Caravaggio and Bernini. Today, visitors to the museum can see masterpieces by both of them – plus Raphael, Titian, Canova, Veronese and Rubens.
Address: Piazzale Scipione Borghese 5, 00197 Rome
Website: https://galleriaborghese.beniculturali.it/
Keats–Shelley House
Tucked to one side of the Spanish Steps, it’s easy to miss the museum dedicated to two beloved English Romantic poets: John Keats and Percy Bysshe Shelley. The building itself is where Keats was living when he died in 1821 of tuberculosis, and the museum’s impressive collection includes books, letters, art and relics connected to Keats and Shelley, as well as Lord Byron, Mary Shelley, the Brownings and more. There’s even a sweet little terrace with a great view of the Spanish Steps.
Address: Piazza di Spagna 26, 00187 Rome
Website: https://ksh.roma.it/
Ara Pacis Museum
The Ara Pacis Augustae is an ancient Roman altar built in the 1st century BCE. The altar was excavated and the pieces reconstructed in the early 20th century, and it was eventually moved from its original (flood-prone) location to preserve it. The Ara Pacis Museum was built around the monument in 2006.
Address: Lungotevere in Augusta, 00186 Rome
Website: https://www.arapacis.it/en
MACRO
The Museum of Contemporary Art of Rome, known colloquially as MACRO, is housed in what was once a Peroni brewery in the Salario neighborhood east of the Borghese Gardens. Exhibitions change every 1-3 months.
Address: Via Nizza 138, 00198 Rome
Website: https://www.museomacro.it/
Museo Leonardo da Vinci
This interactive museum on Piazza del Popolo, connected to the Santa Maria del Popolo church offers a fun way to learn more about the many sides of Leonardo da Vinci, from his artworks to models of his many machine designs.
Address: Piazza del Popolo 12, 00187 Rome
Website: https://www.museodavinci.it/
Shopping
Via dei Condotti
This street near the Spanish Steps is lined with all the famous names in Italian fashion – think Versace, Gucci, Prada, Armani and more. And if making a purchase isn’t in your budget, the interesting shop windows often make the street worth visiting.
Via del Babuino
Via del Babuino is the easternmost Tridente street, and the shops here offer a mix of both wares and price ranges. You’ll find lots of antique shops, plus less well-known clothing brands and boutiques selling things like accessories and home decor.
Via del Corso
The middle street of the Tridente, Via del Corso is one of the most popular shopping streets in Rome. It’s the place to go for more affordable shopping options, with chains like H&M, Zara, Sisley and Diesel. And don’t overlook the beautiful 18th-century shopping mall, Galleria Alberto Sordi, with its elegant glass-covered arcades.
Restaurants & Cafés
There are restaurants and cafés sprinkled throughout the neighborhoods surrounding the Borghese Gardens, although some have more options than others. Campo Marzio is much more tourist-oriented, so the variety may be a bit greater, but there are some local favorites in the Trieste-Salario and Ludovisi areas, too. Some of the best-reviewed restaurants and cafés in the Borghese Gardens neighborhood include Ristorante Ad Hoc, Trattoria Gran Sasso and Bar al 99.
These neighborhood favorites are just the beginning. When you stay with Italy Perfect, you’ll have access to our private Guest Portal, featuring detailed neighborhood and city guides with our top places to eat, shop and explore so you’ll feel at home in Rome from the moment you arrive.
Supermarkets & Convenience Stores
The Borghese Gardens neighborhood is large and predominantly residential, so there are multiple supermarkets in the area. The chains to look for include PAM, Carrefour, Panorama and Todis.
There are also a few of the smaller Italian grocery stores, such as Valeri Alimentari on Via di Ripetta in Campo Marzio. These are much smaller shops with less variety, but they tend to be jam-packed with a little bit of everything you might need.
If you’re looking for a traditional local market, try the Mercato Rionale Nomentano (Piazza Alessandria) and Mercato Trieste (Via Chiana) in the Trieste-Salario neighborhood, or the Mercato Campo Marzio (Piazza Monte d’Oro) in the Campo Marzio neighborhood.
Transportation in the Borghese Gardens Area
Rome’s Metro system isn’t as robust as you’d expect in a city of its size, but there are two Metro stops in the Borghese Gardens neighborhood that may be useful if you’re in the Campo Marzio area. The Flaminio-Piazza del Popolo and Spagna stops are both on the A line, which also connects to the Trevi Fountain, Vatican and Termini Station. The best way to get around from a base in either the Ludovisi and Trieste-Salario areas is by bus – there are dozens of bus stops around almost no matter what neighborhood you’re in.
