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Monte Mario Nature Reserve in Rome: the city's highest hill
Just a short distance from the Vatican and the Foro Italico, the Monte Mario Nature Reserve is one of Rome's primary green lungs: 238 hectares spanning the Trionfale, Prati, and Camilluccia neighborhoods, situated on the capital's highest hill. At 139 meters above sea level, it offers one of the most extensive panoramas of the city, with the Alban Hills (Colli Albani) on one side and St Peter's Dome on the other.
History and villas in the greenery
Along the trail are villas with unique histories. Villa Madama, nestled on the slopes, was designed by Raphael, and is now an official representative office for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Higher up, Villa Mellini houses the Astronomical Observatory with its silver domes. Villa Mazzanti, a Neo-Renaissance building and current headquarters of RomaNatura, features a frescoed loggia with views of Rome, and is surrounded by a historic garden with fountains and a small artificial lake. Nearby is the Church of Santa Maria del Rosario (Our Lady of the Rosary). In the adjacent convent, the composer Franz Liszt spent several years of his life.
Fauna and fossils
The woodland is home to numerous species of raptors and migratory birds, including kites, peregrine falcons, hoopoes, and kestrels. The hill is also rich in marine fossils; specimens found on Monte Mario are preserved in various paleontological museums today.
