The artificial lake in the park has a temple dedicated to Aesculapius – the god of health. The temple is built on the island and was designed by Antonio Asprucci with beautiful Ionic columns.
We lived in Rome for seven years and visited the Villa Borghese gardens often, we used to rent a four person bike with a canopy, and the four of us explored the vast, beautiful grounds of the BorgheseGardens
Painting: Villa Borghese, Year: 2011,
Villa Borghese - Roma Video by: Donni Roberto
http://www.youtube.com/user/rododoro15
The Villa Borghese is the largest public park in Rome. It features a lake, temples, fountains, statues and several museums.
The park is located north of the Spanish Steps. Main entrances are at the Piazza del Popolo and the Porta Pinciana at the end of the Via Veneto. The BorghesePark is a pleasant refuge from the hectic streets in Rome
The area started as a vineyard in the 16th century. In 1605 cardinal Scipione Borghese, a nephew of Pope Paul V, turned the vineyard into a park.
The landscaper Domenico Savino da Montepulciano designed a very formal park with geometric shapes, the first such park in Rome. A villa was built by the architect Flaminio Ponzio after a sketch from the cardinal himself.
The park was later laid out in a more natural way. At the end of the 18th century an artificial lake was created in the middle of the park. On the island in the lake, a small Ionic temple was built. It is dedicated to Aesculapius, the God of healing.
In 1903 the city of Rome obtained the Villa Borghese from the Borghese family and the park was opened to the public. The 80 hectare/148 acres large park now featured wide shady lanes, several temples, beautiful fountains and many statues.
In 1911 the World Exposition was held in this park. Dubbed the 'park of museums', the Villa Borghese park is also home to several museums.
The Museo e Galleria Borghese is housed in the Villa Borghese. The park also contains an amphitheater (the Piazza di Siena), an 18th century arch (the arco di Settimio Severo) and a botanical garden. You might also notice Triton statues which look exactly like those on the Fontana del Moro (Moor Fountain) at the Piazza Navona.
La villa è la più nota a Roma sia per la notevole estensione sia per i diversi accessi al centro della città. A volerne la costruzione tra il Flaminio e i Parioli, area in cui sorgevano gli horti di Lucullo, fu il cardinale Scipione Borghese agli inizi del XVII secolo. L'edificio principale, ispirato al modello cinquecentesco, era ricoperto all'esterno da antiche sculture, mentre il sobrio interno accoglieva notevoli opere d'arte. All'inizio dell'800 il principe Camillo Borghese allestì la collezione d' arte della famiglia nel Casino, oggi sede della Galleria e del Museo Borghese.