Orto Botanico di Roma (Largo Cristina di Svezia 23, Rome, on the Gianicolo slope directly above Trastevere, accessible from Piazza Trilussa via the Via della Lungara and the Corsini villa gate, or from the Gianicolo road above): the botanical garden of the Università di Roma La Sapienza, 12 hectares on the specific slope that the Gianicolo hill offers above Trastevere, in the garden of the former Villa Corsini that Cardinal Neri Corsini built in the 18th century and that then passed to the papacy and then to the Italian state after 1870 when the Villa Corsini became state property and the botanical garden its established use.
The Orto Botanico position in the Rome visitor landscape: the botanical garden that the specific combination of the Trastevere location (the most visited Rome neighborhood after the historic center), the Gianicolo hill (the panoramic hill above Trastevere, visited for the Garibaldi monument and the Rome panorama), and the La Sapienza institutional management have made consistently available to the Rome visitor while remaining consistently undiscovered by the tourist infrastructure: the Trastevere visitor who walks the Via della Lungara past the Corsini villa to reach the Gianicolo never looks left at the botanical garden gate. The result: 12 hectares of maintained botanical garden with the Rome skyline visible from the upper terraces, visited by perhaps 500 people on a summer Sunday while the nearby Trastevere piazzas hold 50,000.
How do you want to see it?
Lazio, ItalyCompare the same experience on GetYourGuide and Viator, save what you like to My Trip, share it, and book when you’re sure. Nearest to this page first.
Orto Botanico di Roma: Collections and Gardens
The Twelve Thematic Gardens
Orto Botanico di Roma thematic sections (the twelve themed areas within the 12-hectare garden): the Rose Garden (the historic rose collection with varieties dating to the 19th century, peak bloom late April-May), the Orchid House (the heated greenhouse with the Mediterranean and tropical orchid collection, the primary single attraction of the Orto Botanico for the specialist visitor), the Fern Garden (the pteridophyte collection in the shaded ravine, the specific microclimate of the Gianicolo spring that feeds the fern valley), the Japanese Garden (the specific formal Japanese garden section, one of the few authentic Japanese garden designs within a Rome park), the Medicinal Plant Garden (the specific collection of plants used in the Italian pharmaceutical and folk medicine tradition), and the Bamboo Grove (the tall bamboo section that produces the most unexpected sensory experience in any Rome garden, the specific acoustic quality of the bamboo in the Roman wind).
Orto Botanico Di Roma: guided tours & tickets
Compare guided tours, e-bike rides and tickets for Orto Botanico Di Roma.
See availability & prices →Compare tours on Viator →We may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.The Corsini Villa and Panorama
Orto Botanico upper terraces (the garden areas on the upper Gianicolo slope, the terraced gardens of the former Corsini villa with the specific Rome panorama (the St Peter's dome, the Janiculum lighthouse, and the specific southern Rome urban fabric visible across the Tiber from the Gianicolo elevation)): the Orto Botanico panorama is the quietest elevated Rome view available, the same Gianicolo panorama available at the public belvedere (panoramic viewpoint) 500m away, but with botanical garden surroundings and approximately 98% fewer people. Open Tuesday-Sunday 9:00-18:30 (summer), 9:00-17:30 (winter). Admission approximately €8.
Q&A: Orto Botanico di Roma
What is the best season to visit the Orto Botanico di Roma?
April-May for the rose garden peak and the spring wildflower display in the naturalistic sections. October-November for the autumn color and the specific atmosphere of the half-empty garden in the late-season light. March for the very early spring emergence (the crocuses and snowdrops in the protected garden sections appear in late February-early March). July-August: the garden is open but the midday heat makes the visit uncomfortable, the specific Gianicolo slope orientation (west-facing, receiving the afternoon sun) makes the Orto Botanico genuinely hot from 13:00 to 17:00 in summer. Visit in the morning or late afternoon.
Internal Links
- Giardini Roma: L'Orto Botanico in Primavera
- Fotografare l'Orto Botanico: Il Giardino Nascosto
- Roma d'Autunno: L'Orto Botanico Silenzioso
- Roma con Bambini: L'Orto Botanico e il Gianicolo
- Orto Botanico Roma: Biglietti e Orari 2026
- Trastevere Culturale: Dal Botanico alla Libreria
- Gianicolo: Il Colle Dimenticato di Roma
