Villa Sciarra, park inside

©Alexander Bruzzese/Lonely Planet

Villa Sciarra

Trastevere & Gianicolo


In ancient times, this little park on the slopes of the Gianicolo (Gianicolo Hill) was believed to be a sanctuary dedicated to nymphs. It's equally enchanting today: cherubs and sphinxes adorn its fountains, and exotic flora and topiaries shaped to resemble animals grace its grounds.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Trastevere & Gianicolo attractions

1. Stumbling Stones

0.18 MILES

These polished brass stones, shaped square like a Roman cobble and engraved with the name of a local Jewish resident, marks the exact spot where Holocaust…

3. Fontana dell’Acqua Paola

0.34 MILES

Featured in the opening scene of Paolo Sorrentino's Oscar-winning La grande bellezza (The Great Beauty; 2013), this monumental white fountain with its…

7. Museo di Roma in Trastevere

0.45 MILES

Housed in a 17th-century Carmelite convent, this museum hosts excellent temporary photography exhibitions. Upstairs the permanent collection contains a…

8. Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere

0.46 MILES

Trastevere’s focal square is a prime people-watching spot. By day it’s full of chatting locals and guidebook-toting tourists; by night it’s the domain...