The city of Rome has a famous rose garden, which occupies a gentle slope on one side of the Circus Maximus with a fine view of the ruins of the Palatine hill. Created in 1950 on land that was a Jewish cemetery until 1934, the walkways of the garden are laid out in the form of the candelabra "the Menorah", a symbol of the Jewish faith, to remind visitors of the sacred nature of the ground.

The garden is divided into two parts; the upper part of the garden contains a collection of more than 1,200 roses of all types, from the oldest to the most recent species, and the lower section is dedicated to cultivating roses which are submitted for the Premio Roma, an annual competition for the best rose.

This year the upper rose garden will be open to the public from 8 May-30 June every day from 08.00-19.00;

The Premio Roma will be judged on 21 May and the lower garden will then be opened to the public from 22 May until 30 June.

The entrance to the garden is free and the gates are in Via di Valle Murcia. For information tel. 065746810.

See photos of the rose garden at www.wantedinrome.com, left-hand column of the home page, photo galleries.