SPECIAL OPENING OF THE GIARDINO DEI MELANGOLI

Galleria Borghese announces the special opening of the Giardino dei melangoli, which can be visited every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. until December.

This enchanting place owes its name to the characteristic bitter orange trees that line its sides. In Borghese documents, it is often referred to as the “Old Garden”, as it already existed with its own well-defined layout before the interventions commissioned by Cardinal Scipione Borghese.

After purchasing the area, Scipione renovated the garden in accordance with the tastes of the time: he had a refined perspective backdrop built, enriched with architectural and sculptural elements — niches, festoons, cornices and reliefs — and adorned it with 144 potted citrus trees, two African marble fountains with dragons (later removed) and a wide variety of plants and flowers. Particularly striking was the extraordinary collection of citrus trees, often rare or unusual species, which ideally evoked the legendary garden of the Hesperides. In 1776, the Eagle Fountain was added, which can still be seen today.

Today, visitors can also discover the installation Tra i giardini segreti (Among the Secret Gardens), designed by Studio Sartogo Architetti – Nathalie Grenon Sartogo and Elica Sartogo. The seating sculptures, made of glazed and hand-painted terracotta, become places to rest and marvel: small scenes from which to observe, with a renewed gaze, the many varieties of citrus fruits and other botanical species.

Entrance to the Giardino dei melangoli is free and does not require a reservation.

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