Since the street, our apartment was on, led up to the top of the Pincian Hill, we decided to take advantage of a nice, sunny day, and explore the park. The views of the city, as we walked along the road, were amazing. On the wall of the Villa Medici, we passed a monument to the French writer, Francois-René de Chateaubriand.
The Fontana di Trinità dei Monti is located in Piazza della Trinità dei Monti, in front of the Villa Medici. The fountain dates from 1589, and is the work of Annibale Lippi. According to legend, the round object you see at the top of the basin, from which the water spouts, is actually one of the three cannonballs that Queen Christina of Sweden fired at the Villa Medici in 1656, to jokingly let those inside know that she was on her way there, for an appointment. The queen was residing at Castel Sant’Angelo at the time, and the shots were fired from there. Only one cannonball hit the villa, and to commemorate this, it was placed on the fountain in front.
The Pincio Gardens date back to antiquity, when the property belonged to the Pincii family. It is the oldest public park in the city of Rome. Today, it is part of the Villa Borghese. The gardens, as we see them now, were designed by the architect, Giuseppe Valadier, in 1810. The pathways, of the gardens, are lined with 228 busts of famous Italians and Europeans. The first bust we came to was that of the writer and patriot, Francesco Domenico Guerrazzi.
Nearby, you will find the bust of the painter, Cesare Fracassini.
The bust of Father Angelo Secchi dates from 1879, and is the work of the artist, Giuseppe Prinzi. Secchi was a respected astronomer, who became the director of the Observatory of the Roman College.
Another bust honors the Italian patriot and statesman, Salvatore Greco dei Chiaramonte.
No tribute to famous Italians would be complete without a bust in honor of Giuseppe Garibaldi!
There is a bust in honor of the engineer, Nicola Cavalieri San Bertolo.
The bust of the statesman, Luigi Carlo Farini, still stands, just without a nose!
There is a bust in honor of the Italian mathematician, Barnaba Tortolini.
Another honors the engineer, Giuseppe Venturoli, who was appointed director of the School of Engineers of Rome, by Pope Pius VII.
The Obelisco Pinciano, or the Pincian Obelisk, dates from the 2nd century AD, and was commissioned by the emperor, Hadrian, to mark the death of his friend and lover, Antinous, who died by drowning in the Nile River. The obelisk was originally erected at Hadrian’s Villa in Tivoli. It was moved to its present location in 1822.
A bust honors the Greek-Italian writer and poet, Ugo Foscolo.
The Fontana del Mosè, or the Fountain of Moses, dates from 1868, and is the work of Ascanio di Brazzà. The statues of the fountain depict the infant, Moses, being saved from the waters by the Pharaoh’s daughter.
The Water Clock dates from 1867, and was built by the Dominican father, Giovanni Battista Embriaco. It is an example of one of the oldest mechanical methods of timekeeping, as instruments such as this existed as far back as the 14th century BC.
Next up: We continue to explore the beautiful park of Villa Borghese!
<em>Note: This blog is written in English, and the author takes no responsibility for the quality of any translation that may appear. If you have enjoyed this post, please, check out our archives for more posts from Rome, as well as other Italian destinations. Grazie!</em>