Villa Borghese is one of the largest parks (c. 200 acres) in Rome. Once the property of the Borghese family, it was acquired by the state in 1901 and ceded to the city two years later, when it became a public park.
One of the most popular corners of Villa Borghese is the Giardino del Lago (Lake Garden), which was created by the Roman architect Antonio Asprucci (1723-1808) at the end of the 18th century. In the centre of the lake is the small Temple of Aesculepius, an imitation of an ancient building.