dscarber

I know Romance is a given to while visiting Rome, but my fiance and I are thinking of things to do while in Rome for part of our honeymoon that are out of the cliche sightseeing activities. I have already been there and both he and I studied architecture in college, so getting to know the place better will be more fulfilling to us. This started when he asked what would be the best place to see the sunset in Rome....I know those moments are the best.
So if anyone has small memorable things that happened please share it with us. We are making a list to pull from when we feel like it.

ThinGorjus

The view from the Pincio in the Borghese Gardens is very romantic, especially at dusk.

Go for an afternoon cocktail at the de Russie hotel. Sit outside in the amazing garden.

Sit on the Spanish Steps and eat some gelato. Afterwards, go for a stroll along the Via Condotti and look at the windows of Prada and Ferragamo.

My favourite church in Rome is Santa Prassede.

Thin

Jean

I find some Italian gardens to be very romantic, and Rome has a few that are off the tourist-beaten path. We once wandered the Orto Botanico (Botanical Garden) in Trastevere nearly all by ourselves, a great escape from the crowds. Depending on the season of your trip, the city's Rose Garden can be gorgeous.

http://www.travelandleisure.com/arti...iful-gardens/1

http://www.tours-italy.com/rome/gardens.htm

If you're venturing south of Rome with a car, the garden at Ninfa is amazing and very romantic. You can also visit by train + taxi.

http://www.italyheaven.co.uk/lazio/ninfa.html

StCirq

Wow, someone else has been to Ninfa. Cool.

The "secret" giardino dei melangoli on the Villa Borghese grounds is very romantic (if you can find it). Also the lake.

Jean

I don't know about you, StCirq, but we thought Ninfa was like stepping into another world. The Garden of Eden, perhaps? There are some lovely videos and slideshows on YouTube.

dscarber

I am so excited about these gardens. I should clarify, both he and I are Landscape Architects, so these sights are right up our alley. I hope Ninfa is open when we are there. I read it has extremely limited viewing times. I think the website said the first weekend of the month and the third Sunday of the month April-October. Does this sound right?
I'm going to email one of our hotels and see if they can give me info on the tickets and availability.

AndrewDavid

when i was last in rome the via appia antica was closed to most vehicular traffic on sundays. riding out on a rented bicycle through the countryside littered w/ tombs and ville was beautiful ( it was a plam sunday and all the locals were carrying olive branches
congrats

AndrewDavid
( architect from victoria, bc)

Jean

dscarber, what season is your visit? We were at Ninfa in October, so there were few flowers but lots of autumn color and obviously the ruins and water. I would think spring to early summer would be ideal. Ninfa isn't easy to visit, and I only remember that we had to plan around the day it was open. It's worth the effort if you're landscape architects.

franco

Yes, StCirq, we're quite a few here on Fodor's who have been to Ninfa! dscarber, yes, their opening hours are as restrictive as you've read (just in August, a little less so). Why would you ask a hotel? That's almost a guarantee to get a wrong answer! Their own website says it very clearly: http://www.fondazionecaetani.org/visita_ninfa.php?
Be sure to bring tons of repellent to Ninfa, or you would trade romance for mosquito bites.
And as landscape architects, I think you must visit Villa d'Este in Tivoli. One of Italy's most famous and most beautiful garden architectures. Plus Villa Adriana, of course, ditto in Tivoli, which is Villa d'Este's ancient Roman forerunner, so to speak.

dscarber

We will be in Rome October 18-20, then 27-31. I think we will get a wonderful show of autumn while we are there. I remember going to Villa d'Este in September, then again in November two years ago and it is a must see. I loved it. Although I would tell people not to wait around for the water/music show. I don't know if we missed something, but I was expecting a Versailles-esque production...it was sad. lol. But good for the technology at the time I suppose.
Franco-thank you for that link. I'm sad to see it looks like it will only be open the 2 & 3 of October, so that probably wont work. Unless we get a group of 20 people together. But that wont work either because you have to pre-book 6 months in advance for special tours. Some other visit I suppose.
But all of the other advice...bike rides, places to grab a cocktail, special churches, city parks, are all great. Thank you so much!

julia1

Ninfa is indeed one of the most magical and romantic gardens anywhere, not long on structure but over the top on atmosphere and sense of place. Well worth a visit if you can work around the limited open hours. Here are a few images, if you're interested:
http://gardentouring.fotopic.net/p58452093.html
http://gardentouring.fotopic.net/p58452095.html
http://gardentouring.fotopic.net/p51182421.html

Just a few miles away, near Anzio and the sea, is La Landriana, an inspired and inspiring 20th century garden created from an abandoned dairy farm whose only crops were unexploded bombs and land mines left from battles fought during the Allied landing in WWII. Russell Page created the underlying design and structure for the owners, who worked on the garden for almost 40 years. Images here, if you're interested:
http://gardentouring.fotopic.net/p51228844.html
http://gardentouring.fotopic.net/p51228748.html
http://gardentouring.fotopic.net/p51206420.html

If you have access to a car, or a car and driver, you can easily visit both from Rome in a day, with time left for the American Cemetary at Nettuno if you wish, or a long lunch in a seaside town.

North of Rome, in Bagnaia, just three miles east of Viterbo and accessible by rail, is Villa Lante, the quintessential Renaissance garden. Created from 1568, it celebrates in stone, clipped box and water the classic virtues of symmetry, proportion, beauty and simplicity. Villa Lante is built on a terraced slope and is simply exquisite. Here are some images:
http://gardentouring.fotopic.net/p51177390.html
http://gardentouring.fotopic.net/p51177388.html
http://gardentouring.fotopic.net/p51177385.html
http://gardentouring.fotopic.net/p51177401.html

Nearby is another Renaissance garden, Castello Ruspoli at Vignanello, which has been owned by the same family since the 16th century and is virtually unchanged since it was first created. It's a little out of the way, not accessible by rail, opening hours are infrequent, but if you have a car and are in the area, a visit is magical and well worth the effort. Images here, if you're interested:
http://gardentouring.fotopic.net/p52976311.html
http://gardentouring.fotopic.net/p52492443.html
http://gardentouring.fotopic.net/p51177429.html

sap

Garden lover is bookmarking!!

Jean

julia1, thanks for the great photos! What a contrast between Ninfa and Bagnaia or Vignanello. I want to visit them all, but I can see spring would probably be best.

TDudette

The Pamphilj palace is amazing and not always "up there" on first visit lists. I was amazed at the roccoco (sp?) church Santa Maria della Vittoria. These are interiors rather than landscapes though.

franco

julia1, thanks to you, I learned something. Never heard of Castello Ruspoli so far - thank you!

dscarber, should plan on going as far as Bagnaia (which isn't unfortunately too close to Rome), you should of course also consider Bomarzo and its Parco dei Mostri, the quintessential Mannerist garden (I suppose you already know about it, otherwise I can detail a bit). And as far as Ninfa, well, it's owned by a private association/foundation, and it's in Italy, so... if you happen to speak Italian or know somebody who does, it may be a good idea to simply call the Foundation (well in advance, that is: now). If you explain them that you're on a honeymoon and landscape architects and dying to see Ninfa, who knows whether you'd really need to put together that group of 20... I suppose the gardeners will be there MUCH more often than opening hours would suggest, and perhaps it won't be that difficult to arrange for somebody to let you in (perhaps without the usual guided tour, but would that be a big disadvantage?). Trust me, I've visited many, many sights in Italy in similar ways, and "tentar non nuoce" (it doesn't hurt to try).

franco

TDudette, am I correct to assume that you mean Palazzo Doria Pamphilj, not Palazzo Pamphilj? If I'm mistaken and you really mean the latter, I'd be grateful if you could let me know how and when to get in. (Sorry dsc!)

ThinGorjus

I stayed at the St. Regis Grand Hotel in Rome, which is right across the road from St. Maria Vittoria. I went in almost every day to see the Bernini's Ecstasy of St. Therese.

Should not be missed.

Thin

dscarber

Well some good stuff. I forgot Villa Lante (Bagnaia) and Parco dei Monstri were relatively close together. When I visited them I was coming from Florence, but they don't look too far from Rome. That can go on the list.

Julia1: thank you so much! I was studying abroad in Italy for Landscape Architecture and our teachers didn't mention these places. I feel ripped off! But now I know. I've emailed the places and let them know my predicament, being that most are closed when we will be there, and my Italian is rusty at best to call.

TDudette: we aren't stuck on just exteriors. So thank you for your suggestion.

jabez

Google "Bomarzo" and see if it's worth a longish day trip.
Ballooning above Borghese might be nice as well.
Hotel Raphael‘s terrace bar has great sunset views as does the Pincio gardens.

franco

dsc, sorry, but if you're sending emails, you're unlikely to succeed. Closed doors, in Italy, open to people who take the trouble to call, but usually not to people who are sending emails. Many Italians still hate email communication, think it's too impersonal, and actually, will consider it impolite to ask a question like yours (for a special opening!) by email, that's a big no-no in Italy. Don't be surprised if you never get an answer, and in case you get one, if it's negative. If you really want to go there, pull your rusty Italian together and call. If you just succeed to explain yourself, they'll be all the more impressed if you bother to call even though your Italian is less than perfect. And if you don't succeed so, have somebody else call for you. Seriously.