Rome's Secret Garden of Herms Reopens at Villa Borghese

The Garden of Herms (Giardino delle Erme), one of the secret gardens of Villa Borghese in Rome, has been restored and reopened to the public. The restoration was funded by a €100,000 donation from IZI, a company celebrating its 40th anniversary, under a new public-private partnership model adopted by the city. The garden, also known as the Fourth Secret Garden, was originally created in the 17th century by Cardinal Scipione Borghese as a nursery for exotic plants. It features a monumental entrance designed by architects Carlo Rainaldi and Tommaso Mattei, called the Esedra dei Draghi for the heraldic Borghese dragons. The garden's name comes from Roman-era herms placed there in the 19th century. Restoration focused on the Esedra dei Draghi and the central fountain, removing limestone deposits and reactivating the water flow. The historic greenery, including citrus, antique roses, bulbs, and bitter oranges, is now maintained by Rome's Garden Service. The garden is open daily from 8 am to 7 pm. Further restorations of the Secret Gardens, the Uccelliera, and the Casino della Meridiana are planned under the PNRR Roma Caput Mundi funds. Mayor Roberto Gualtieri and Culture Assessor Miguel Gotor highlighted this collaboration as a model for future heritage projects.