Rome’s Rose Garden: Spring and Autumn Openings

When Is Rome’s Rose Garden Open?

The Municipal Rose Garden (Roseto Comunale) on the Aventine Hill is not open all year. It opens to the public in spring, when the roses are in full bloom, and in some years for a short season in autumn. Entry is free.

Autumn 2026: the garden was open from October 25 to November 8, 2026, every day from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., according to Roma Capitale. It is now closed until the spring opening. The entrance is at Via di Valle Murcia 6.

Spring: the garden usually opens during the spring bloom, from late April through May, and the City of Rome publishes the dates on its website in April. The Premio Roma, the international competition for new rose varieties held here since 1951, usually takes place on the third Saturday of May.

Dates change every year: we update this page when the next opening is announced.

Discover the Rose Garden’s Ancient Roots and Remarkable Views

Nestled along the slopes of Aventine Hill, the Rose Garden offers panoramic views that stretch across several iconic sites. From here, you can see the Circus Maximus, Palatine Hill, and the bell tower of Santa Maria in Cosmedin. The view also captures the dome of the Synagogue, the Vittoriano, and even the Monte Mario observatory. History steeped this spot with floral roots dating back to the 3rd century BC. According to the historian Tacitus, a temple dedicated to Flora, the goddess of flowers, once stood here. Each spring, festivities known as the “Floralia” would bloom near the Circus Maximus. Over the centuries, the land evolved from vegetable gardens and vineyards to become, by 1645, the “Jewish Garden,” even including a small cemetery for the Jewish community.

The Rose Garden’s Transformation and Symbolic Design

In 1934, Rome relocated the cemetery and designated the area as a public park. However, it wasn’t until 1950 that the park blossomed into the Municipal Rose Garden we know today. In tribute to its past, a stele at the entrance commemorates the garden’s legacy as a Jewish sacred ground. The garden’s pathways form the shape of a menorah, symbolizing its lasting connection to both Roman and Jewish history.

Explore Unique Rose Varieties in the Rose Garden

Today, the garden is home to approximately 1,100 varieties of roses from around the world, including some truly unique ones. Visitors can marvel at the fascinating Rosa Chinensis Virdiflora, with its distinctive green petals. The garden also displays the color-shifting Rosa Chinensis Mutabilis and the unusual Rosa Foetida, famous for its intense scent. The larger section of the garden showcases a paradise of botanical, ancient, and modern roses. Meanwhile, the lower section hosts roses competing for the prestigious Premio Roma, along with a collection of past winners dating back to the contest’s first edition in 1933.

✨ Best of all:  Entry is Free ✨

Explore this enchanting garden without any cost. The Rose Garden is not on the usual routes of our tours, but the nearby Orange Garden is: it is included in the 3-hour version of our private golf cart tour and on the typical route of our Dolce Vita tour by vintage Fiat 500. On both tours the sights are seen from the outside. See all our golf cart tours in Rome and vintage Fiat 500 tours in Rome.