Located north of the famous Spanish Steps Villa Borghese is the third largest public park in Rome. The stunning park offers the visitors a breath-taking view over the Eternal City from the Pincio (Pincian Hill of ancient Rome). However this is not the only attraction that Villa Borghese presents; the park houses a lake, temples, statues, fountains and museums.

There are two main entrances to the Villa: from Piazzale Flaminio, near Piazza del Popolo, and from Porta Pinciana situated at the end of Via Veneto.

In the late Roman Republic period this area was known as Gardens of Lucullus. During the 16th century it became a vineyard and in 1605 Cardinal Scipione Borghese turned it into a landscape garden, the biggest built in Rome since the Roman period. The park was developed for the Villa Borghese Pinciana (Borghese Villa on the Pincian Hill) that the Cardinal used both as party villa and to display his art collection. The Cardinal himself prepared some sketches for the project.

During the 18^th century an artificial lake was created in the middle of the park; a century later the gardens were remodeled in a more natural way following the English taste.

In 1903 the city of Rome bought the Villa from the Borghese family and opened it to the public. Few years later, in 1911, the park housed the World Exposition; many of the pavilions built still exist. Here is located the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna.