Friday, January 30, 2015

A Garden on the Palatine Hill

           This small garden is situated on the Palatine hill, that is the centermost of the seven hills of Rome, capital of Italy. The Palatine is one of the most ancient parts of the city.

 
I saw this ancient garden when I climbed the Palatine hill that is 40 m high. It wasn't easy but I got on the hilltop. Approaching closer to bushes I was looking for a potable water spring and I found a garden next to it.


Later I learned the legend that on the hilltop near this ancient spring there was a cave where Romulus and Remus were found by the she-wolf that kept them alive. Having grown Romulus decided to build a new city on the banks of the river Tiber. This is how "Rome" got its name - from Romulus.


I've seen walls of ancient palaces and houses on Palatine hill and recent excavations show that the original Romans have lived on the Palatine since approximately 1000 BC.



Possible in those times a small garden could have been planted by them. There are fruit trees, bushes, grasses, roses, a pond and a small fountain. I think the Romans used water from a spring for watering the garden.

 

This accurate restoration shows us an ancient garden and the experience of ancient Roman gardeners.


36 comments:

  1. Fascinating and beautiful! Makes me want to hop on a jet to Rome right now!

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    1. I'd love to too, Jason. There are many gardens to see in Rome.

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  2. beautiful garden. The water component makes the garden looks so interesting. Thanks for sharing.

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  3. An interesting and beautiful place! Thank you for taking us with you.

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  4. Hello Nadezda!!
    What a lovely and historical place to visit!!
    Beautiful gardens and preety flowers!
    I would love to visit Rome one day!
    Dimi...

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  5. Thank you for sharing this Nadezda I love history and gardens and this was fascinating...if I ever make it back to Italy I will be sure to visit this garden.

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    1. This garden was unexpected discovery for me, Donna!

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  6. Such a beautiful place in Rome, I love Italian gardens, have visited many but not this one.

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    1. I think it's unknown small garden for many tourists, Janneke. It was a pleasure to discover it!

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  7. These summer images are in stark contrast with your wintery header (which is just beautiful by the way). It is wonderful to see a garden with such history. Here in North America there are no gardens older than a few hundred years. Thanks Nadezda for taking us along.

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    1. You're right, Jennifer. Rome is very ancient and same many tourist attractions are. We have no ancient parks in Russia as well, the Peterhof parks are 300 years.

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  8. What an interesting visit to an ancient garden. I love the little water fountain. Thank you Nadezda.

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  9. That's always nice to see charming garden ! Nadezda, thank you for showing this wonderful place !
    Gorgeous photos ! Greetings !

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  10. Oh Nadezda
    I look forward to a wonderful spring flowers and greenery.
    Beautiful gardens and wonderful vegetation.
    Winter is gray and cloudy. There is no sun.
    Greetings.

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    1. Lucja, you're right, weather is not great, no sun here too.
      Spring is coming!

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  11. No, spring is still a long way off! (I just saw your reply to the previous comment.)

    My garden is mostly dead, except for some winter flowering shrubs and the spikes of daffodils sticking out of the ground.
    Maybe I should go out and take a closer look. There must be other signs of life.

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    1. Friko, the weather is a capricious lady. We had enough warm days, snow melted and some days were sunny. But forecast says the snow storm goes and temps will drop soon. Winter comes back. I'm glad you see some daffodil sprouts in your garden!

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  12. Apparently I walked by Palatine Hill in Rome this October, but never saw the garedens! Among some others, a good reason to go back some day! It seemed to me that all good gardens in Rome are small and hidden behind the walls. Thank you for introducing this one!

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    1. Tistou, sure you have a reason to come back to Rome because this city deserves one more visit.Maybe you're right - many small pretty gardens are behind the walls!

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  13. Oh, I know the story about Romulus and Remus, how fun that this is where they were supposed to have been found! You travel to so many interesting and lovely places, Nadezda, thanks for showing us this beautiful garden.

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  14. Always seemed awesome that there are all those ruins. I don't know what the appeal of ruins in gardens is, but it seems to be a pretty long lasting kind of attraction since people have liked them for hundreds of years - at least in England.

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    1. The ancient ruins often attract many people because they want to imagine how ancestors lived there. And how the gardened. Thank you Jenny!

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  15. How wonderful to visit the place with such a powerful history! It gives the gardens even more meaning than just their beauty alone.

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    1. Rosemary, it's right: this garden gives much meaning for people learning the history.

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  16. What an interesting garden, and how excited you must have been strolling through a garden with such history. I remember a tour guide telling us one time that there are layers to Rome, because they kept building on top of ancient buildings. Such a fascinating history!

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    1. I love 'live' history as well Rose. I've seen ancient houses under the surface their ladders went down.

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  17. Flores e historia juntas en un estupendo post. Te has paseado por donde hace mucho años pasearon emperadores ;))
    Besos

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