The beauty of Rome is also this, which allows you to take refuge in a silent and fragrant forest without ever leaving the city.
Ph. Roberta Venditti
It is there for running, walking, going on a bike ride, having a yoga session or getting to know a piece of the history of the city from a different point of view, through less touristy but no less beautiful routes, or simply for switching off while looking for close contact with nature.
Those who live in the north-eastern part of the city, between the lively districts of Montesacro and Pietralata up to Ponte Mammolo, are lucky enough to be able to take advantage of the naturalistic wonders of the Aniene Reserve: 650 hectares of lush and wild vegetation that extends along the banks of the river of the same name, which flows from the sources of the Simbruini Mountains to Northern Rome and then into the Tiber.
Ph. Roberta Venditti
Among the turkey oaks and downy oaks that populate the flattest part of the park, grey herons, cormorants and parrots find their home, often engaged in furtively flitting through the fruit trees of the gardens around the park to steal a plum or apricot. In the humid parts, on the other hand, right where the river flows, elms, white willows, ash and maple have taken root.
Ph. Roberta Venditti
Looking at the river Aniene, with its greenish water where it is difficult to see the bottom, you would never think that kingfishers, shrimp or freshwater crabs, connoisseurs of clean water, live right here. But shy as they are, they only let themselves be seen by those who have the tenacity and the patience to wait.
The same could not be said for the ducks and otters, which, impassive and indifferent to the gaze of the curious, sail in search of food on the river between the ancient Nomentano Bridge, dating back to the time of Menenius Agrippa, and the stretch that flows parallel to via Monte Nevoso, a historic street of villas with art nouveau architecture all overlooking the park, in the heart of Città Giardino.
Ph. Roberta Venditti
But the Aniene Reserve is more than just a nice place to go to spend a few moments of relaxation or to practice some sport. It is above all a mental refuge, a state of mind, an idea that bestows freedom through the mere fact that it exists, that it is there, with its dusty paths that become mud every time it rains, with the hives hidden between untameable bushes, with the nooks in the shade of the reeds, which suddenly take you to other places in the world through your imagination.
It is there and it is easily accessible, and just knowing it helps you live better, especially in noisy and busy cities like Rome.