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"Via Veneto And Villa Borghese"

Rome Tourist Guide Routes  

Via Veneto and Villa Borghese

The area that stretches from the illustrious Via Veneto to the enormous, lush gardens of the Villa Borghese is one of the most elegant in Rome. Via Vittorio Veneto is more than a street, more than a collection of elegant cafés and upscale fashion - it is a symbol for everything associated with the Roman dolce vita. It is a cornerstone of an entire lifestyle, one that has been reflected on the silver screen time and again, especially in the films of director Federico Fellini. The films, however, also borrowed from real life, amplifying the legend of Via Veneto and carrying it around the world.  It is a case of life imitating art and vice versa. In its heyday, Via Veneto was a playground for well-heeled intellectuals, wealthy socialites, celebrities and all of the city's "beautiful" people. But social trends and lifestyles change, even in the eternal city. Although the street has maintained its elegant veneer, it has lost much of its social splendour. Via Veneto is still a lovely street for a stroll, taking you from Piazza Barberini to the Villa Borghese, past upscale cafés and exclusive boutiques. But a sense of nostalgia lingers in the air, noticeable in how everything about the street reflects and remembers the glory of its past.  

The Piazza Barberini is adorned with two beautiful fountains by the baroque master Bernini. The more spectacular of the two is the Fontana del Tritone, which depicts a triton blowing into a meticulously rendered sea-shell. The second fountain, known as the Fontana delle Api or the fountain of the bees, was erected in honour of the famous Barberini clan whose family symbol was this particular insect. The bee can be found on all of their family emblems and coat of arms, which embellish several facades throughout the city. The Palazzo Barberini, located on the square, is noteworthy for its gallery, the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, which includes pieces by artists like Raphael, Caravaggio, Guido Reni and Filippo Lippi.

One of Rome's most peculiar churches isn't far from Piazza Barberini. The Santa Maria della Concezione Church isn't particularly interesting to look at; in fact, its exterior appearance is rather austere. It is what lies beneath the church, deep inside the subterranean level, that is far more interesting. Here you find a cemetery of the capuchin order of monks, a place that isn't for the faint-hearted. The skeletons of about 4,000 capuchin monks have been used to decorate the walls and the interior of the chapels, giving the cemetery a somewhat eerie and yet undeniably gripping atmosphere.  

Via Veneto comes to an end at the Villa Borghese, one of Rome's many splendid parks. The park once covered 75 hectares and was named after one of its owners, the famous cardinal Scipione Borghese Caffarelli. The state took charge of the park in 1902 and turned it into a beautiful collection of public gardens. It is an ideal spot for an afternoon out with the entire family. The zoo located inside the park is bound to thrill younger visitors whereas older ones can enjoy a quiet afternoon next to the lakes or read in the shade of the ancient trees that dot the park. The daytime version of the park is family-friendly and peaceful – quite a striking contrast to the scene that plays out during the nocturnal hours when it becomes a popular hang-out for prostitutes and transvestites.

Villa Borghese is also home to two of the city's most fascinating museums. The Galleria Borghese is the more popular of the two and contains one of Rome's most magnificent collections, carefully put together by the cardinal Scipione Borghese. The museum has two floors of which the first is dedicated to sculpture and the second to painting. The latter floor is lined with paintings by masters such as Raphael, Botticelli and Titian. The gallery's greatest pride, however, resides in two magnificent sculptures by Bernini, Pluto and Proserpina and Apollo and Daphne. Despite the undeniable artistic richness of this collection, it was once even more glorious. The collection lost some of its lustre in the early 19^th century when more than 200 pieces were sold to the Louvre in Paris.

The Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna also forms part of the museum complex in the Villa Borghese gardens. The museum is located in a building with a neoclassic facade, built for the 1911 World Fair in Rome. The permanent collection includes paintings and sculpture from the 19^th and 20^th centuries, and the museum also hosts several temporary shows throughout the year.

In the nearby Villa Giulia, you can visit the Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia. The exhibition consists of archaeological treasures from the Etruscan era found in the north of Lazio and Umbria. The collection includes a wide variety of objects, ranging from quotidian items to remains of carriages and other traditional pieces that offer an in-depth look at the Etruscan civilisation. There is even a perfectly reconstructed Etruscan tomb amongst the many displays. The most famous and valuable piece is the Sarcófago degli Sposi (the Sarcophagus of the Wives), which dates back to the 6th century B.C.