Not far from our house is Villa Ada, the largest park in Rome second only to Villa Pamphili. Located in the north-eastern part of Rome, it has a surface of 180 hectares/450 acres and is covered with vegetation native to the area. Twenty percent of the park is covered with many different kinds of trees such as umbrella pine, oak, laurel, elm, maple and poplar. There’s even a lovely Weeping Willow. And this willow does more than just weep.

For more than 3500 years, willow bark has been used as a traditional medicine. Within the willow bark is salicin, the same salicin that’s used for making aspirin.

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Related: Villa Ada Bunker for Savoia family + How to Make Aspirin From Willow + The aspirin story, from willow to wonder drug