Statue in garden of Villa Celimontana (previously known as Villa Mattei) on the Caelian Hill in Rome, best known for its gardens.

©Borisb17/Shutterstock

Villa Celimontana

San Giovanni & Testaccio


With its grassy banks and colourful flower beds, this leafy park is a wonderful place to escape the crowds and enjoy a summer picnic. At its centre is a 16th-century villa housing the Italian Geographical Society, while to the south stands a 12m-plus Egyptian obelisk.

Legend surrounds this ancient monument with one story holding that the globe on the top contains the ashes of the emperor Augustus. Another tells how a workman lost his arm whilst erecting the obelisk and that the severed limb is buried beneath its base.

Transportation

  • bus: Via della Navicella

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby San Giovanni & Testaccio attractions

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3. Case Romane

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4. Chiesa di San Gregorio al Celio

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Ring for admission to this landmark church standing on the spot where Pope Gregory the Great supposedly dispatched St Augustine to convert the British…

5. Basilica dei SS Quattro Coronati

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6. Terme di Caracalla

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7. Basilica di San Clemente

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8. Palatino Entrance

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About 250m down from the Colosseum, this is the main entrance/exit for the Palatino (Palatine Hill).

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