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The Garden of Ninfa (Image credit: Getty Images)
Palazzo Colonna's Sala Grande, Rome (Image credit: Franco Bocchino)
The Six Senses Rome Spa (Image credit: John Athimaritis/Six Senses)
Rome: Historic Haunts – And One New Hotel – To Explore
The Garden of Ninfa
Filled with wisteria, cypresses and aquatic irises, the Garden of Ninfa is an enchanting historic garden located between Rome and Sperlonga. Its name derives from an ancient temple built nearby, which is devoted to the water deities. More than 1,300 species grow in and around the romantic ruins beneath the garden, which have endured for centuries. Ninfa is overseen by the Roffredo Caetani Foundation, which preserves the gardens and a nearby castle. In the 1930s, artists and writers were invited to Ninfa by Marguerite Chapin, the American publisher and wife of its former custodian, Roffredo Caetani, an aristocratic Italian composer and godson of the Hungarian composer Franz Liszt. You can visit Ninfa with one of its bilingual guides who will spend an hour or so elucidating the history and horticulture of the gardens. Via Provincale Ninfina, 68, 04012 Cisterna di Latina
Palazzo Colonna
Palazzo Colonna is one of the oldest private palaces in Rome, open to the public on Friday and Saturday mornings. Only a few minutes from Six Senses Rome (see below), it's an impressive example of the Roman Baroque with enchanting vertical gardens. You ascend along elevated pathways lined with fragrant planting and past fountains to reach a stunning view over Rome. Its art collection includes the work of revered Italian artists like Pinturicchio, Tura, Carracci, Reni, Tintoretto, Rosa, Bronzino, Guercino, Veronese and Vanvitelli. The history of Palazzo Colonna extends across eight centuries. Oddone Colonna was elected Pope Martin V in 1417 and the palace became his papal seat. Whilst there, you can also visit the elusive Princess Isabelle Apartment where you'll find miniatures by Jan Brueghel the Elder and her collection of the 37 views of Vanvitelli. Via della Pilotta, 17, 00187 Roma
Hendrik Christian Andersen Museum
A lesser known highlight of Rome is the Hendrik Christian Andersen Museum near to Piazza del Popolo. Its contemporary exhibitions are worth seeing alongside the permanent collection. The neo-Renaissance Villa Helene was designed by the enigmatic Norwegian-American sculptor Hendrik Christian Andersen and completed in 1925. After his death in 1940, he bequeathed the museum to the Italian government. His collection of more than 200 sculptures, as well as many more paintings and papers, offers a unique perspective on the artistic practice of the artists who thrived in early 20th-century Rome. Andersen is also partly remembered for his friendship and correspondence with American-British author Henry James. The experience of visiting the museum is reminiscent of both Carl Eldh's Studio Museum in Stockholm and Fondation Giacometti in Paris. Via Pasquale Stanislao Mancini, 20, 00196 Roma
Villa Doria Pamphili
Follow the River Tiber past Castel Sant'Angelo and St Peter's Basilica until you reach the Monteverde neighbourhood. Villa Doria Pamphili is its jewel with the largest landscaped garden in Rome. The 17th-century villa is the counterpart to Palazzo Doria Pamphili, which lies a stone's throw from the Six Senses Rome. The Roman villa's architecture and opulence have made it a subject of interest for centuries. The French photographer Julien Drach recently exhibited a series of his monochrome photographs titled "Shades of Rome" at Connolly in London. They were taken beneath the umbrella pines at Villa Borghese, Villa Medici and Villa Doria Pamphili respectively. You can visit the last and its expansive collection of antiquities and sculptures. Don't miss the romantic Fontana del Giglio, which flows into the nearby Laghetto del Belvedere. Via di San Pancrazio, 00152 Roma
Good to know
Located in the historic Palazzo Salviati Cesi Mellini, the newly opened Six Senses Rome is focused on cultural engagement. Its proximity to the Monument Victor Emmanuel II and Imperial Fora elevates the panoramic views, which can be enjoyed from its rooftop. The hotel is also close to the Trevi Fountain, completed in 1762 by the architect Giuseppe Pannini, and most compelling when visited early in the morning.
Another focus of Six Senses Rome is wellness and sustainability. Its serene interior design creates a calm atmosphere, which extends to BIVIUM, its innovative restaurant offering seasonal fare reflective of the region. The Six Senses Rome Spa features nourishing signature treatments, as well as Roman baths to promote healing as you move between its caldarium, tepidarium and frigidarium.
