Dragons and eagles, symbols of the Borghese family, guard almost every entrance and are scattered throughout the almost 200-acre Villa Borghese. The papal politics surrounding the original land accumulation for this immense, well-used public park are found in the prior post.
We could access the park within a block of our apartment and would use it as a pleasant pathway to museums on its edges or any time it could possibly help us avoid more tourist-overwhelmed roots.
Yes, there are tourists inside the park, but Romans outnumbered us by far. Walking, dog-walking, playing ball, bicycling, electric-surrey-biking, jogging, practicing tai chi, reading, courting, picnicking, row-boating. An urban oasis.
Postcards from Barton Springs 