I'm visiting Italy in April 2004, and I enjoy visiting public parks and gardens when I travel. I'll be in Rome, Venice, and Florence. What parks and gardens should I be sure not to miss? --Tito

Not being an afficionado of parks and gardens, I'll statr with two I know only by reputation: Borghese (Rome) and the Boboli Gardens of the Pitti Palace in Florence. And from personal experience, I found it very enjoyable to stroll through the park-like area(s) down towards the "Armory" (? is that the right name?) - - where the great ships were built, in Venice. The area(s) must surely have a name (or names) but I do not know what that would be.

Best wishes,

Rex

Hi,

I think Rex is referring to the Arsenale in Venice.

Florence has a large park, the Cascine, along the river west of the train station as well as the Boboli Gardens.

Rome has some great gardens to admire! The Borghese Gardens are a city park, much on the lines of Central Park in NYC, Audobon Park in New Orleans, or Boston Gardens. It's well worn around the edges, but still lovely to walk around. Another great park is the Gianocolo Gardens (sometimes called Janiculum in the guidebooks). This park is on the north side of the Trastevere neighborhood, south of the Vatican. The Piazza Garibaldi (in the Gianocolo) has fantastic views of the city. Lastly, a nice little garden walk can be found opposite the Colesseum, where the Domus Aurea is. Walking up Viale della Domus Aurea will bring you into the gardens.

These suggestions are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Roman gardens--look at any Rome city map and you will see how "green" the city is.

Thanks for the suggestions.

I go to Rome frequently and I love Villa Borghese. I jog there every day and I discover something new every time. There is a new Shakespearian Globe theatre that they've just finished, a tethered hot air balloon that when you are up has unsurpassed views of Rome, an overlook of a Piazza that is a beautiful view of Rome and the Musem of Villa Borghese is surrounded by a garden with sculptures. I highly recommend getting the audio tape when going through this museum, I didn't the first time and regretted it. Also there is a zoo there. Finally, there are often different markets and horseshows on the weekends. My favorite thing is to watch Italian families having fun on Saturday and Sunday. Teenagers rent touring bikes and careen around the park as fast as they can and there is always a little boy with his father and a soccer ball on the grass.

Thanks wills!

I'll be in Rome about the same time (late April and early May 2004), and I am also looking forward to touring the parks and gardens. Thanks, Slander1709, for posting the question and to everyone who replied. Any aficionados know if the gardens are looking good at that time of year? I still have some time to change my dates (say, to the end of May-beginning of June) if the gardens are much prettier then. Also, perhaps there are some web sites that show the gardens at various times of year?

Hi m8360382 (I am a number not a name)

Go for mid-May if you can. Best time of year for anywhere in the northern hemisphere.