We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Villa Silj - and we plan to return, hopefully soon, with our children. Villa Silj rests atop an extensive relaxing garden with centennial mediterranean pine trees - a privileged setting that we found beautiful and soothing. The garden surrounds the main house and is peppered with distinct places, outdoor rooms, sculptures and sensations in a very open, welcoming way. It is well kept, green, open, tall and spacious, and unlike many important gardens, nothing in it evokes the petty will to command, to order or show off- and this we found sincerely welcoming and -truly- elegant.
Like the garden, the apartments and our hosts, Dado and Eleonora. Our apartment was a free standing two-story small building, with a porch, a dining room-kitchen, a living-room and study, a bathroom and a bedroom with one great, warm (november ) double bed with linen sheets. Upstairs-which we didn't need nor use on this occasion - there were more rooms for a further 4 adults and more children. The apartment had everything one needs to live autonomously, in good quality and good style - without pretense - and provides a spatiousness, quietness, independence, economy and ease of living which would be impossible at a hotel or anywhere in the center of Rome.
Dado and Eleonora welcomed us like friends and made us feel immediately and fully at home. They have made Villa Silj their home over the last 25 years or so and are the living representation in the depth and breadth of all the nice qualities they have put into the apartments and the garden.
Villa Silj is located in Prima Porta, which is about 20 minutes by car from central Rome. We flew in from Seville in a direct Ryanair flight to Ciampino, rented a car, drove for about 30 minutes through the G.R.A. (the acronym for the city's highway belt) to exit 3 and arrived without too much difficulty. To get to Rome, we drove 5 minutes to Saxa Rubra train station, parked the whole day for 1,20 €, bought a train ticket (1,50 € per person each way), which left us at Piazza del Popolo.The train ride is not elegant, but it is hassle-free and inexpensive, two things I would not be able to say if I had to drive to the center of Rome and park.
We spent our first full day seeing just about 10 of the 800 churches in Rome. Our second full day - we did not leave Villa Silj, and I preferred it!
