Adjacent to the world-famous Galleria Borghese museum in Rome are a number of gardens that Cardinal Scipione Borghese had created for his prestigious palazzo.
Secret Gardens Cardinal Scipione Borghese Rome
Useful information
The Giardini Segreti di Cardinale Scipione Borghese are only seldom accessible to the public. It is however possible to get an impression when continuing past the Galleria Borghese from the park entrance and then looking to the right. Address: Viale dell’Uccelleria – Rome. Phone: +39 060608 (information number of the city of Rome).
History of the Secret Gardens
The first two gardens that the Cardinal (between 1608 and 1633) had created were the Giardino dei Melangoli (a Melangolo is a bitter kind of orange) and the Giardino dei Fiori (“Flower Garden”), which were located right next to the Palazzo Borghese.
In 1680 the third garden, the Giardino della Fioritura alla Prospettiva (“Garden of Flowering in Perspective”) was added.
In each one of these gardens, flowers and plants from all over the world were blooming.
After World War II, the bigger part of the Secret Gardens was left in ruins. A restoration completed in 1999 has restored them to their former glory.
The gardens can be visited only under supervision.