Giardino di Sant'Andrea al Quirinale

The monastery of San Andrea al Quirinale had its own vegetable garden, which occupied a large area to the left of the monastery church. Apparently, the appearance of the beds was not very pleasing to the eyes of the royals, because in 1871 the land was requisitioned for ownership by the Ministry of the Royal Court. According to the plan of 1870, on the land around the palace, it was planned to build the buildings of ministries and parliament and improve the adjacent territories.

In 1887, under the direction of the royal gardener Giuseppe Rode, work began on the transformation of the former monastery kitchen garden into a garden. Rohde designed an ellipsoid parterre in the center, surrounded by curved alleys where trees were planted and flower beds were arranged.

On the alleys there were several gazebos, not preserved to this day. The fountain in the form of a grotto made of natural stone can still be seen today. The park had the status of a palace and the general public was not allowed there. It was not until 1969 that President Giuseppe Zaragata ordered the park to be opened to the public.

In 1998, the territory of the park was officially transferred to the Municipality of Rome. The park was in a state of disrepair by that time, so it was immediately closed for reconstruction. Vegetation was restored, and the wall separating the park from Via Piacenza was replaced with a balustrade. The grand opening of the renovated park took place in December 2013. Now it is a cozy shady corner surrounded by historical buildings.

On May 25, 2014, a monument was erected in the center of the park in honor of the bicentennial of the founding of the Carabinieri Corps. The opening ceremony was attended by the Commander-in-Chief of the Carabinieri, the President of the Council of Ministers, the Ministers of Defense, Interior and the Minister of Cultural Heritage and Tourism, the mayors of Rome and Turin.

The bronze monument reproduces the famous sculpture of the Florentine master Antonio Berti Pattuglia di carabinieri nella tormenta (Carabinieri Patrol in a thunderstorm), created in 1973 on the idea of the chief of staff of the Carabinieri Arnaldo Ferrara.