The Orto Botanico was once the garden of Palazzo Corsini, the imposing adjacent mansion which belonged to various notables over the years, including Queen Christina of Sweden. Since the late nineteenth century the garden has belonged to Rome University.

The garden is large and varied, with a huge array of species. Some plants are cared for in greenhouses, others thrive on the surprisingly wild upper slopes. Decayed fountains, ponds and staircases give a very Roman air of past grandeur, although there is nothing faded about the colourful trees and flowers.