Villa Ada is a park in
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
, Italy, with a surface of it is the second largest in the city after
Villa Doria Pamphili
The Villa Doria Pamphili is a seventeenth-century villa with what is today the largest landscaped public park in Rome, Italy. It is located in the quarter of Monteverde, on the ''Gianicolo'' (or the Roman Janiculum), just outside the Porta San Pa ...
.
It is located in the northeastern part of the city.
History
The wooded expanse was owned by the Italian royal
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy ( it, Casa Savoia) was a royal dynasty that was established in 1003 in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, the family grew in power from ruling a small Alpine county north-west of Italy to absolute rule of ...
in the latter half of the nineteenth century; it contained the royal residence (1872–1878). In 1878 the area came under the control of Count Tellfner of Switzerland, who named it in honor of his wife Ada. The royal family regained control of the land in 1904 but did not change the name. They retained control of the area until 1946.
Present status
![Villa Savoia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/Villa_Savoia.jpg)
As of 2009 the area contains both public and private areas. The public area is controlled by the Council of Rome; the private area is controlled by the Egyptian Embassy, although the Town Council has made a formal claim to take control of the whole area.
The private portion is under constant patrol by police or army personnel.
Activities
The public portion of the park is much larger than the private area. It contains an artificial lake and many trees, including
stone pines,
holm oaks
''Quercus ilex'', the evergreen oak, holly oak or holm oak is a large evergreen oak native to the Mediterranean region. It is a member of the ''Ilex'' section of the genus, with acorns that mature in a single summer.
Description
An evergreen t ...
,
laurels
''Laurus nobilis'' is an aromatic evergreen tree or large shrub with green, glabrous (smooth) leaves. It is in the flowering plant family Lauraceae. It is native to the Mediterranean region and is used as bay leaf for seasoning in cookin ...
and a very rare
metasequoia
''Metasequoia'', or dawn redwoods, is a genus of fast-growing deciduous trees, one of three species of pinophyta, conifers known as redwoods. The living species ''Metasequoia glyptostroboides'' is native to Lichuan, Hubei, Lichuan county in Hube ...
, imported from
Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...
in 1940. Entrance to the park is free. One may rent canoes, bicycles, or riding horses. There is a large swimming pool.
Since 1994, during the summer the park hosts the
world-music festival
A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival c ...
and the "''Roma incontra il mondo''" (Rome meets the World)
festival
A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival c ...
, against racism, war and the death penalty.
![Bunker entrance](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Bunker_entrance.jpg)
The "Bunker Villa Ada Savoia," a bunker built in the early 1940s by the
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy ( it, Casa Savoia) was a royal dynasty that was established in 1003 in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, the family grew in power from ruling a small Alpine county north-west of Italy to absolute rule of ...
to protect the King and Queen (King
Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
Victor Emmanuel III (Vittorio Emanuele Ferdinando Maria Gennaro di Savoia; 11 November 1869 – 28 December 1947) was King of Italy from 29 July 1900 until his abdication on 9 May 1946. He also reigned as Emperor of Ethiopia (1936–1941) and K ...
and Queen
Elena
Elena may refer to:
People
* Elena (given name), including a list of people and characters with this name
* Joan Ignasi Elena (born 1968), Catalan politician
* Francine Elena (born 1986), British poet
Geography
* Elena (town), a town in Veliko ...
) from Allied bombs, is now open for tours. The non-profit association, Roma Sotteranea,
restored the bunker, which had fallen to ruin and had been vandalized, and runs the tours for a small cost. To date, all tours have been in Italian.
Also, Benito Mussolini was taken captive by King Victor Emmanuel III during World War II from that house.
See also
*
List of parks and gardens in Rome
This article gives an incomplete list of parks and gardens in Rome. Public parks and nature reserves cover a large area in Rome, and the city has one of the largest areas of green space amongst European capitals. The most notable part of this gre ...
*
Villa Doria Pamphili
The Villa Doria Pamphili is a seventeenth-century villa with what is today the largest landscaped public park in Rome, Italy. It is located in the quarter of Monteverde, on the ''Gianicolo'' (or the Roman Janiculum), just outside the Porta San Pa ...
References
External links
*
*
Gardens in Rome
Rome Q. II Parioli
Royal residences in Italy
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