Pincio

Pincio Review

Redolent of the yesteryears of Henry James and Edith Wharton, the Pincio gardens have always been a favorite spot for strolling. Grand Tour-ists, and even a pope or two, would head here to see and be seen among the beau monde of Rome. Today, the Pincio terrace remains a favorite spot to cool off overheated locals. The rather formal, early-19th-century style contrasts with the far more elaborate terraced gardens of Lucullus, the Roman gourmand who held legendary banquets here. The pathways are lined these days with off-white marble busts of Italian heroes and artists. Along with similar busts on the Gianicolo (Janiculum Hill), their noses have been victims of vandalism. One theory to explain such nose-bashing is the fear of ghosts. A belief going back to ancient times held that the nose was the source of breath and therefore life itself, even after death. By depriving a bust of the same organ, its accompanying spirit would be deprived the oxygen, which evidently spirits need to walk the night.

The Pincio is separated from the southwest corner of Villa Borghese by a stretch of ancient walls. From the balustraded Pincio terrace you can look down at Piazza del Popolo and beyond, surveying much of Rome. Southeast of the Pincio terrace is the Casina Valadier, a magnificently decorated templelike Neoclassic building that was reopened to the public in 2007 after a decade-long renovation—it remains one of Rome's most historic restaurants.