Green spaces make cities livable. giving people a place to exercise and relax. In a city like Rome, the green spaces aren’t just useful, but they are also beautiful.

The Villa Doria Pamphili, on the Gianicolo - the tallest of Rome's seven hills - is the largest public landscaped park in Rome. With an area of 1.8 square kilometers, the villa is one of the best sites for bird-watching and jogging. The park was designed to hold the Panphili sculpture collection, most of which today is in the Capitoline Museum, leaving the gardens with its sense of grandeur. The park was bought from the Doria Pamphili family 1965 by the City of Rome and has become one of the premier parks of the city. With plenty of sunny meadows and shady groves of umbrella pines, it is the perfect place for a picnic, a jog, a dog run or just relaxing. Just inside the park, there is an excellent cafe - the Vivi Bistro - good place to grab a picnic lunch or to lounge with a glass of wine. In the summer months, the Bistro is also open dinner and offers homemade gelato. 

A short distance away, overlooking Trastevere, the Villa Sciarra perches right at the top of the Gianicolo hill. Smaller than the Villa Doria Pamphili, this is more of a family park, enclosed in medieval walls and with a playground for young children. The villa Sciarra also hosts an excellent collection of classical sculptures and fountains. If you look around, you might find Apollo and Daphne, a faun chasing a nymph and many other hidden treasures. Its one of those great secret spots that makes Rome a city of unending discovery.