Daytrips from Rome: Tivoli

Villa d’Este:

In the extraordinary natural, artistic and historical background of Tivoli, Villa d’Este is a wonderland of fountains, gardens, nymphaeums, grottoes, and ornamental and musical waterworks – a model often copied in European gardens of the Mannerist and Baroque style. Its construction is inextricably linked to the history of its founder, Cardinal Hippolyte II, son of Lucretia Borgia and Alfonso I d’Este of Ferrar.

The Villa was begun in 1550, when the cardinal was appointed Governor of Tivoli, and continued after his death by his heirs. The magnificent gardens extend from the rear of the Villa in a series of terraces and slopes. However, Villa d’Este owes its fame as one of the most beautiful gardens in the world to the wealth of trees, the myriad species of plants, the numerous spectacular ornamental fountains named after the famous sculptures set in their midst, and the original waterworks created exclusively for the Cardinal to surprise and delight his guests.

Not to be missed are the Fontana del Bicchierone, attributed to Bernini, in the form of one large cup within another, resting on a huge shell; the Fontana del Pegaso, with the triumphant statue of the mythical winged horse Pegasus; Le Cento Fontane, a hundred jets of water springing from the mouths of beasts with human features along two rows. The Fontana dell’Ovato is the most evidently Baroque in style; the Fontana dei Draghi, which lies at the heart of the gardens, consists of a circle of four dragons; while the Fontana di Nettuno is the largest and most spectacular fountain in the Villa, with its massive volume of water and powerful jets rising high into the air.

Hadrian’s Villa – Villa Adriana:

The Villa Adriana is a large Roman villa built by the emperor Adriano in the early second century CE. The villa was a sumptuous complex of over 30 buildings, covering an area of about 200 hectares, maybe even more, of which much is still unexcavated. The Villa is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Adrian’s Villa relives the splendour of the Imperial Age with the return of the most important sculptures excavated in the area around the villa from exhibitions in the leading Italian and international museums. The masterpiece of the exhibition is without a doubt the famous Drunken Faun carved in red marble found in 1736, central piece of the Capitoline Museums.

The villa was Hadrian’s preferred residence when he was in Rome.

Contact Info:
HADRIAN’S VILLA, Canopus Antiquarium Via di Villa Adriana, 204. Tivoli. Information: 0639967900. Opening hours: every day from 9 a.m. to one hour before sunset. Admission: €10, reduced €6.75.