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Giardini di Palazzo Barberini
★ 4.0(1 review)Park & Garden
serenehistoricbaroque
About the Vibe
Most visitors rush straight past the wrought-iron gates to see the Caravaggios inside Palazzo Barberini, but the real insiders linger in the gardens. These 17th-century Baroque grounds — designed by Carlo Maderno and expanded by Borromini — pack fountains, an artificial shell grotto, ancient sculptures, and rare plants into a surprisingly compact green oasis right in the heart of Rome. It's the kind of place where you can sit on a bench and forget you're steps from one of the busiest intersections in the city.
Why it's worth it
A 17th-century Baroque garden with Borromini's shell grotto and rare plants, hiding in plain sight behind one of Rome's busiest palazzi.
Highlights
Baroque fountainsshell grottouncrowdedgreen oasis
Before you go
The gardens are included with your Palazzo Barberini museum ticket — visit them after the gallery to decompress, and go on a weekday morning for the most solitude.
Known For
- •Baroque fountains and sculptures
- •Borromini's artificial shell grotto
- •Rare plants and tree-lined avenues
- •19th-century iron-and-glass greenhouse
Best For
quiet stroll after museum visitphoto walkpeaceful break from city noise
1 review
City InsidersEditorialJuly 10, 2026
Rome's most overlooked Baroque garden — and it's free with your museum ticket
Everyone comes to Palazzo Barberini for the Caravaggios and the Pietro da Cortona ceiling — and rightly so — but the gardens are the real insider move. Designed in the 1620s by Carlo Maderno and later expanded by Borromini, these grounds were once home to ostriches, camels, and deer kept by the flamboyant Barberini family. Today the exotic animals are gone, but the Baroque fountains, geometric hedges, and tree-lined avenues remain, and they're beautifully maintained.
The highlight for me is Borromini's artificial grotto, decorated with shells and stones — it was Cardinal Barberini's favorite retreat, and you can see why. There's also a striking 19th-century iron-and-glass greenhouse and an Egyptian stele that was added in the 18th century. The whole space is compact, so you won't need more than 30–45 minutes, but it's a genuine green oasis steps from the chaos of Piazza Barberini.
The gardens are often overlooked, which means you'll frequently have them nearly to yourself — a rare thing in central Rome. Pair them with a visit to the National Gallery inside the palazzo, then step outside to decompress among the sculptures and rare plants. It's one of those Rome experiences that feels like you've stumbled onto something most tourists don't know about.