ROME VILLA PAMPHILJ RUN – 6K

Escape the chaos of the city centre and run with me in Villa Pamphilj, one of the most unknown Rome gems. Running in a park and enjoying some architectural beauties and historical places will still be possible.

“Under a sunshine, if anything rather too warm, we proceeded to the Villa Pamphilj, whose beautiful gardens are much resorted to for amusement; and there we remained till evening. A large flat meadow, enclosed by long ever green oaks and lofty pines, was sown all over with daisies, which turned their heads to the sun.”. That’s how Johann Wolfgang Goethe described the Villa (1786) In his Italian Journey.

Our tour starts and finishes in Largo 3 giugno 1849. It’s Villa Pamphilj’s main entrance, its square named after the day of the Siege of Rome ended with the toppling of the Roman Republic, a short lived constitutional government that was part of Risorgimento, the long road to the Unification of Italy.

A Seventeenth-century noble country residence, today Villa Doria Pamphilj is the largest park and one of the best-preserved villas in Rome. Its 184 hectares are the ideal setting to enjoy an all-round experience of running through nature, history, and art. After a brief uphill at the start of our tour, we’ll cross the majestic Arco dei Quattro Venti. Then, a shady downhill will bring us along the Trajan-Paul Aqueduct, on the northern border along Via Aurelia Antica. The architectural masterpiece of the Villa is the magnificent Baroque-style Casino del Bel Respiro, built starting from 1644. Outside is the enchanting Secret Garden, a true jewel of landscape architecture. From the top of the stairway along the Casino del Bel Respiro, we can also catch a far glimpse of St. Peter’s Dome.