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Home / Hills of Rome /

Pincian Hill

Written by: Artur Jakucewicz

Pincian Hill Rome Guide
Tip You can reach Pincian hill either by climbing the stairs on Piazza del Popolo or walk through Villa Borghese by following the signs towards the Pincian terrace.
Address Viale Gabriele D'Annunzio, Roma

Pincian Hill (Pincio) rises immediately north of the Quirinal Hill. Although it is not counted among the legendary Seven Hills of Rome, the Pincio remains one of the city’s most cherished viewpoints.

Contents

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  • History
    • Modern Era
  • What to See and How to Visit
    • Piazza del Popolo
    • Borghese Gallery
    • Trinità dei Monti – Church Above the Spanish Steps
    • Villa Medici
    • Fontana di Villa Medici – Cannon-Ball Fountain
    • Pincio Terrace – Villa Borghese Viewpoint
    • Water Clock of the Pincio
    • Propilei Neoclassici – Monumental Gates of Villa Borghese
    • Statua Enrico e Giovanni Cairoli – Hidden Risorgimento Drama
    • Porta Pinciana – Gateway to the Pincio
  • Nearby Attractions

History

In antiquity, the Pincio lay outside Rome’s original boundaries; only with Emperor Aurelian’s defensive walls (3rd century AD) was it brought within the city. Its modern name honours the Pincii, the powerful family that owned the ridge in the 4th century. Lush private gardens once covered the slopes, earning it the nickname Collis Hortulorum—the “Hill of Little Gardens.”

Ancient writers record that the ashes of Emperor Nero were interred in the Domitii family tomb on the hill’s flank.

Modern Era

Today, the Pincio embraces several renowned villas and crowns the sweeping Piazza del Popolo. Between 1802 and 1814, Napoleon commissioned French architect Giuseppe Valadier to redesign the entire area, blending formal terraces with the natural contours of the hillside. Valadier completed Piazza del Popolo in 1816, creating the elegant ensemble visitors enjoy today.

What to See and How to Visit

The highlights below fit comfortably into a half-day. Begin your exploration through one of three classic approaches:

  1. Piazza del Popolo ▶︎ Valadier Staircase ▶︎ Pincio Terrace ▶︎ Villa Borghese – the quickest route to the sunset viewpoint.
  2. Spanish Steps ▶︎ Trinità dei Monti ▶︎ Villa Medici ▶︎ Villa Borghese – panoramic city views on your left as you walk the ridge.
  3. Piazza Barberini ▶︎ Via Veneto ▶︎ Porta Pinciana ▶︎ Villa Borghese – a gentle uphill stroll through Rome’s Belle Époque quarter.

Piazza del Popolo

Pope Sixtus V commissioned the first major redesign of the “People’s Square.”

Piazza del Popolo and twin churches in Rome, Italy

Three great streets radiate southward from the square:

  • Via del Corso – Rome’s main shopping street
  • Via di Ripetta
  • Via del Babuino – leading straight to the Spanish Steps

The 24-metre Flaminio Obelisk stands at the centre, brought from the Circus Maximus in 1589; the red-granite monolith is more than 3,400 years old. To the north rises Porta del Popolo, once the principal gateway for travellers arriving via the Via Flaminia. On the south side, twin Baroque churches—Santa Maria dei Miracoli and Santa Maria in Montesanto—frame the entrance to Via del Corso. The east side hosts Valadier’s monumental staircase up to the Pincio Terrace, Rome’s finest sunset balcony.

Address: Piazza del Popolo

Borghese Gallery

Housed inside the 17th-century Villa Borghese, the Borghese Gallery preserves one of the world’s most significant private art collections.

The Borghese Gallery and Museum

Cardinal Scipione Borghese, nephew of Pope Paul V, commissioned the villa from Flemish architect Giovanni Vasanzio and filled it with works by Bernini, Caravaggio, Titian, Raphael and others. Pietro Bernini’s landscaping later transformed the surrounding vineyard into the 80-hectare park Romans cherish today.

Website: borghese.gallery

Trinità dei Monti – Church Above the Spanish Steps

Commissioned by King Louis XII of France in 1502 and crowned with its twin bell-towers in the late 16th century, Trinità dei Monti presides over the Spanish Steps beside the Sallustian Obelisk.

Trinità dei Monti Church Above the Spanish Steps

Inside, don’t miss Daniele da Volterra’s celebrated “Deposition” and the anamorphic frescoes that spring to life from a single viewpoint. Step outside for postcard-perfect views down Via Condotti to St Peter’s dome.

Villa Medici

Ferdinando de’ Medici purchased this Renaissance palace in 1576.

Villa Medici on Pincian Hill

Since 1803 the complex has hosted the French Academy in Rome, transferred here on Napoleon’s orders so that young artists could immerse themselves in classical antiquity. The villa is open to the public on guided tours and rewards visitors with enchanting gardens and sweeping city views.

Address: Viale della Trinità dei Monti 1

Fontana di Villa Medici – Cannon-Ball Fountain

Created in 1589 by architect Annibale Lippi for Cardinal Ferdinando de’ Medici, this understated octagonal fountain re-uses an ancient red-granite basin perched on a baluster within a shallow pool.

Fontana di Villa Medici

A stray cannon-shot fired from Castel Sant’Angelo in the 19th century supposedly lodged in its rim, earning the nickname “Fontana della Palla di Cannone.”

Sheltered by pines just outside Villa Medici’s entrance, it offers a quiet pause before you continue into the gardens or towards the Spanish Steps.

Pincio Terrace – Villa Borghese Viewpoint

Pincio Terrace crowns the hillside just above Piazza del Popolo and is widely considered Rome’s finest sunset balcony.

Pincio Terrace Sunrise Views of Rome

From this balustraded lookout you can trace the Tiber’s curve, pick out St Peter’s dome and watch the city’s rooftops glow gold at dusk. A gentle five-minute stroll through Villa Borghese brings you here.

Water Clock of the Pincio

Hydro-chronometer Water Clock of the Pincio

Tucked beside a lily pond along Viale dell’Obelisco stands the Water Clock of the Pincio—a quirky 1867 hydro-chronometer designed by Dominican friar Gian Battista Embriaco and engineer Gioacchino Ersoch. Propelled entirely by flowing water, its exposed gears still tick away the hours, delighting passers-by with a slice of 19th-century ingenuity.

Propilei Neoclassici – Monumental Gates of Villa Borghese

Commissioned by Prince Camillo Borghese and completed by architect Luigi Canina in 1827–29, these twin neoclassical pavilions once formed the ceremonial gateway to Villa Borghese from Piazzale Flaminio.

Propilei Neoclassici entrance to Villa Borghese

Flanked by Corinthian columns and crowned with terracotta eagles, the Propilei echo the Propylaea of the Athenian Acropolis, marking the transition from bustling city streets to the park’s leafy avenues.

Statua Enrico e Giovanni Cairoli – Hidden Risorgimento Drama

This bronze group by sculptor Ercole Rosa (1883) captures Giovanni Cairoli, revolver raised, supporting his mortally wounded brother Enrico during their ill-fated 1867 raid on Villa Glori.

Statua Enrico e Giovanni Cairoli Pincian Hill Rome

Set back along Viale del Pincio, the monument is often overlooked, yet its raw dynamism and patriotic pathos embody the sacrifices that forged a unified Italy. Take a moment here to discover one of Rome’s most poignant—and least-noticed—memorials.

Address: at the start of Viale Adam Mickiewicz, beneath Terrazza del Belvedere

Porta Pinciana – Gateway to the Pincio

Built into the Aurelian Walls by Emperor Honorius around AD 402, Porta Pinciana once guarded the northern route into Rome along the ancient Via Pinciana.

Porta Pinciana on Pincian Hill

Known in the Middle Ages as Porta Turata (“walled-up gate”), it was reopened and flanked with side arches by Pope Pius IX in 1860. Legend has the disgraced general Belisarius begging for alms here; today the same modest arch ushers traffic towards Villa Borghese and chic Via Veneto.

Address: Via Vittorio Veneto 196

Nearby Attractions

Spanish Steps
12 min 1940 ft 590 m
House of Monsters
13 min 2200 ft 670 m
Ara Pacis
15 min 2400 ft 730 m
Via del Corso
17 min 2850 ft 870 m
Borghese Gallery
20 min 3310 ft 1 km
Trevi Fountain
23 min 3770 ft 1.2 km
Pantheon
28 min 4530 ft 1.4 km
The Fountain of Neptune
28 min 4630 ft 1.4 km
Piazza Navona
29 min 4760 ft 1.5 km
Fountain of the Four Rivers
30 min 4890 ft 1.5 km

Author: Artur Jakucewicz

Artur Jakucewicz

I’ve lived in Rome for over a decade and am delighted to share my knowledge and experience. Passionate about ancient history and architecture, I’m the author of travel guides to Italy designed especially for independent travellers.

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About us

About us ROME.US Authors Kate Zusmann and Artur Jakucewicz
We're Kate and Artur, a duo bound by our shared fascination with the Eternal City – Rome. Our paths, driven by a mutual passion for its timeless stories and architectural marvels, converged in a way we had never imagined.

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