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Pineto Regional Urban Park in Rome: 250 Hectares of Mediterranean Scrubland
The Parco Regionale Urbano del Pineto covers 250 hectares of Mediterranean scrubland in the area between Via Trionfale, Via della Pineta Sacchetti, and Valle Aurelia. Cork oaks, myrtles, strawberry trees, tree heather, rockrose, and mastic trees grow here. Little owls and tawny owls nest in the area, while hazel dormice and foxes roam freely — all just a few minutes from the Gemelli University Hospital and the Battistini metro station.
The Valley of Hell and the Lost Villa
The heart of the park is the Valle dell'Inferno, a natural basin carved by erosion, where clay was extracted for centuries to supply the Fabbrica di San Pietro (St Peter’s Factory). At the end of the 16th century, the Sacchetti family commissioned a villa here, designed by Pietro da Cortona, of which only ruins remain, hidden among the vegetation.
What to do in the Park Today
It has been a Regional Urban Park since 1987. There are jogging trails, fitness areas, and playgrounds for children. Over 600 plant species and 71 bird species have been recorded. Inside the park, near Via Vittorio Montiglio, the Bosco della Vita (Forest of Life) is a space designed for children to play in, surrounded by oaks and holm oaks, created in collaboration with the Pediatric Oncology Parents' Association of the Gemelli Hospital.
