#borghese

Franz Borghese (Italian, 1941-2005)       The otolaryngologist, N/D

Saint Jerome Writing

Caravaggio, 1605

Portrait of Camillo Borghese, duke of Guastalla

By François Kinson

A Love Letter to the Borghese Gardens

Whenever the sun decides to shine in Rome—and especially when I have the time—I make the hour-long walk from my apartment to the Borghese Garden, one of my absolute favorite places in the city.

There’s something undeniably magical about it. I find myself daydreaming about the gardens during class, longing for those long, slow walks through its tree-lined paths. My favorite spot is the small pond with a fountain, tucked away like a secret. I bring a book (these past few weeks it’s been The Iliad) and camp out for hours, letting the sun warm my skin and the words pull me somewhere else entirely.

Sometimes I pretend I’m a young woman whose only job is to come to this park and read all day—and honestly, that sounds like the dream.

Couples stroll hand in hand. Children dart through the grass, laughing and chasing one another. Even the dogs seem to trot along in bliss, tails wagging in rhythm with the peaceful air. The Borghese Gardens are a splash of green in a city filled with ancient stone and ruins—a place where time feels slower.