{"id":593,"date":"2021-07-06T15:49:43","date_gmt":"2021-07-06T14:49:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/walks.friday.ie\/?p=593"},"modified":"2023-07-17T12:49:08","modified_gmt":"2023-07-17T11:49:08","slug":"best-city-parks-in-italy-florence-milan-rome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/travel-tips\/best-city-parks-in-italy-florence-milan-rome","title":{"rendered":"Best Parks in Italy: 6 Places in Florence, Rome &#038; Milan to Beat the Heat"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>There&#8217;s no better way to escape the heat and crowds of Italy&#8217;s cities than by seeking out a park. Here are our top choices for the most accessible, and prettiest, green spaces in Florence, Milan and Rome. Bonus: These parks aren&#8217;t just great for a picnic, a jog or relaxation &#8212; since lots of Italians take advantage of them, especially on the weekends, they&#8217;re fantastic for people-watching, too!<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1536\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-11550\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/villa-pamphili-park-running-rome-walksofitaly-sml-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"City Parks in Italy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/villa-pamphili-park-running-rome-walksofitaly-sml-scaled.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/villa-pamphili-park-running-rome-walksofitaly-sml-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/villa-pamphili-park-running-rome-walksofitaly-sml-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/travel-tips\/best-city-parks-in-italy-florence-milan-rome\/#Florence\" >Florence<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/travel-tips\/best-city-parks-in-italy-florence-milan-rome\/#Milan\" >Milan<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/travel-tips\/best-city-parks-in-italy-florence-milan-rome\/#Rome\" >Rome<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Florence\"><\/span>Florence<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Villa Bardini Gardens. <\/strong>After being closed for decades, the gardens, first laid out in the Middle Ages, only reopened in 2005 &#8212; part of the reason why they&#8217;re so much less known than the Boboli Gardens (below). That means they&#8217;re much more peaceful, and just as pretty, with statues, a Baroque staircase, and panoramic views of the city. The 10-euro entrance includes entrance to the Boboli Gardens, Costume Gallery, Silver Museum, and Porcelain Museum. Click here for the location of the <a title=\"Location of Villa Bardini gardens in Florence\" href=\"http:\/\/maps.google.com\/maps?f=q&amp;source=s_q&amp;hl=en&amp;geocode=&amp;q=Via+de%27+Bardi+1+firenze&amp;aq=&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;hq=&amp;hnear=Via+de%27+Bardi,+1,+50125+Firenze,+Toscana,+Italy&amp;ll=43.76629,11.266351&amp;spn=0.009793,0.028496&amp;z=15\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">entrance to the Villa Bardini Gardens<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Boboli Gardens. <\/strong>The only other big green area in the city center, the 11-acre park happens to be both beautiful and historic, created by the Medicis when they took over the Palazzo Pitti in the 16th century. Don&#8217;t miss its Grotto del Buontalenti, a Mannerist vision of fake stalactites, replicas of Michelangelo&#8217;s <em>Slaves, <\/em>and Giambologna&#8217;s <em>Venus. <\/em>Since they&#8217;re so much better-known than Villa Bardini, these can be more crowded; just keep heading into the interior until you find some quiet space. Entrance is 3 euros, or 10 euros to combine with the Villa Bardini and other sights (see above). Click here for the <a title=\"Boboli Gardens location in Florence\" href=\"http:\/\/maps.google.com\/maps?f=q&amp;source=s_q&amp;hl=en&amp;geocode=&amp;q=giardino+di+boboli&amp;aq=&amp;sll=43.76629,11.266351&amp;sspn=0.009793,0.028496&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;hq=giardino+di+boboli&amp;ll=43.763408,11.252489&amp;spn=0.009794,0.028496&amp;z=15\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">location of the Boboli Gardens<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"707\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-619\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/The-pond-in-the-Boboli-gardens.jpg\" alt=\"Boboli Gardens in Florence\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/The-pond-in-the-Boboli-gardens.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/The-pond-in-the-Boboli-gardens-768x543.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Milan\"><\/span><strong>Milan<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Giardini Pubblici. <\/strong>Milan&#8217;s prettiest park, it was designed by the same 18th-century architect who did La Scala. Today, it&#8217;s a lovely green space with avenues and a small lake. It&#8217;s also perfect for kids: There&#8217;s a planetarium and the Museum of Natural History. And across the road, the Giardini della Villa Reale, with their swings and small pond, are such a haven for kids, the only people allowed in are children under 13 accompanied by adults. Click here for the <a title=\"Location of the Giardini Pubblici, Milan\" href=\"http:\/\/maps.google.com\/maps?f=q&amp;source=s_q&amp;hl=en&amp;geocode=&amp;q=Giardini+Pubblici+Indro+Montanelli,+Italia&amp;aq=0&amp;sll=45.476142,9.211006&amp;sspn=0.019018,0.056992&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;hq=Giardini+Pubblici+Indro+Montanelli,+Italia&amp;z=15\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">location of Milan&#8217;s Public Gardens<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Parco Sempione. <\/strong>Right in the center of Milan, Parco Sempione boasts not just lots of green space and opportunity for people-watching, but some top sights, including the Triennale and the Torre Branca. (The <a href=\"http:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/florence\/best-views-of-italy-florence-rome-venice-photo-ops\">Torre Branca is where to find one of the best views of Milan<\/a> around!). Corners of it can sometimes feel a little sleazy, though, so come on weekends, when the locals do. Click here for the <a title=\"Location of Milan&#039;s big public Parco Sempione\" href=\"http:\/\/maps.google.com\/maps?f=q&amp;source=s_q&amp;hl=en&amp;geocode=&amp;q=Parco+Sempione,+Milan,+Italia&amp;aq=0&amp;sll=45.474064,9.200237&amp;sspn=0.00951,0.028496&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;hq=Parco+Sempione,+Milan,+Italia&amp;ll=45.472471,9.186716&amp;spn=0.01902,0.056992&amp;z=14\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">location of Milan&#8217;s Parco Sempione<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Rome\"><\/span>Rome<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Villa Borghese. <\/strong>Rome&#8217;s answer to Central Park, Villa Borghese dates back to the early 17<sup>th<\/sup> century, when it was the playground for the noble (and pope-producing) Borghese family. Today, locals and tourists alike take advantage of its tree-lined paths and green spaces, jogging, picnicking, even pedaling those funny 4- or 5-person contraptions (and threatening to take out anyone else in their way!).<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s where to come to people-watch, admire the view of Piazza del Popolo from the Pincian hill, or to pop into one of the park\u2019s several top-notch museums &#8212; the <a title=\"Galleria Borghese\" href=\"http:\/\/www.revealedrome.com\/2010\/06\/galleria-borghese-one-for-the-art-lovers.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Galleria Borghese<\/a> among them. (Below, part of the gardens at the Galleria Borghese). Click here for the <a title=\"Villa Borghese location\" href=\"http:\/\/maps.google.com\/maps?f=q&amp;source=s_q&amp;hl=en&amp;geocode=&amp;q=villa+borghese,+roma&amp;aq=&amp;sll=41.914797,12.48785&amp;sspn=0.047519,0.132351&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;hq=villa+borghese,&amp;hnear=Rome,+Lazio,+Italy&amp;ll=41.910006,12.500896&amp;spn=0.023761,0.066175&amp;z=14\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">location of the Borghese gardens<\/a>.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1000\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2000 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/Villa-Borghese-Pinciana-Pincian-Hill-Rome-Italy-high-dynamic-range-HDR.jpg\" alt=\"Parks in Rome: Villa Borghese\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/Villa-Borghese-Pinciana-Pincian-Hill-Rome-Italy-high-dynamic-range-HDR.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/Villa-Borghese-Pinciana-Pincian-Hill-Rome-Italy-high-dynamic-range-HDR-768x768.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>\n<p><strong>Villa Celimontana.<\/strong> A stone&#8217;s-throw from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/attractions\/colosseum-underground-reopened\">Colosseum<\/a>, right across from Palatine Hill, is the Celian hill, where you&#8217;ll find Rome&#8217;s most peaceful park in the entire <em>centro. <\/em>First created by the wealthy Mattei family in the 16th century, today it&#8217;s a haven for locals &#8212; and only those tourists most in the know.<\/p>\n<p>It features views over Rome&#8217;s southern neighborhoods and the hulking Baths of Caracalla, plenty of shade, and decorative statues and an obelisk. A <a href=\"http:\/\/www.villacelimontanajazz.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">popular jazz festival<\/a> takes place here in the summer. Summer&#8217;s also the season when a big swath of the park transforms into a makeshift resort&#8230; complete with swimming pool. Click here for the location of the <a title=\"Location of the entrance to the Villa Celimontana park in Rome\" href=\"http:\/\/maps.google.com\/maps?f=q&amp;source=s_q&amp;hl=en&amp;geocode=&amp;q=piazza+della+navicella,+Roma&amp;aq=&amp;sll=41.883716,12.496347&amp;sspn=0.010096,0.028496&amp;g=piazza+della+navicella&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;hq=&amp;hnear=Via+della+Navicella,+00184+Roma,+Lazio,+Italy&amp;ll=41.884643,12.499008&amp;spn=0.010096,0.028496&amp;z=15\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">entrance to the Villa Celimontana.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There&#8217;s no better way to escape the heat and crowds of Italy&#8217;s cities than by seeking out a park. Here are our top choices for the most accessible, and prettiest, green spaces in Florence, Milan and Rome. Bonus: These parks aren&#8217;t just great for a picnic, a jog or relaxation &#8212; since lots of Italians [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":87,"featured_media":619,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[64,65,17,18],"ppma_author":[195],"class_list":["post-593","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel-tips","tag-florence","tag-act-like-a-local","tag-milan","tag-rome"],"authors":[{"term_id":195,"user_id":87,"is_guest":0,"slug":"matteom","display_name":"Matteo M.","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Matteo-Marino.png","url2x":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Matteo-Marino.png"},"user_url":"","last_name":"M.","first_name":"Matteo","job_title":"","description":"When Matteo, a native of Milan, isn't savoring the rich flavors of homemade pasta or engaging in lively debates about Italian politics, you can find him exploring the hidden gems of Italian cities, unearthing the stories behind ancient ruins, and getting lost in the vibrant maze of local markets in whatever city he finds himself in. Matteo considers himself to be the go-to source for tips, tidbits and recommendations for all things Italy. When he's not working, you can find him enjoying a pisolino or a gelato."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/593"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/87"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=593"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/593\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22282,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/593\/revisions\/22282"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/619"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=593"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=593"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=593"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=593"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}