Tivoli is a small city located in Central Italy in the Lazio region, a few kilometers from Rome on a limestone ridge, above a gorge carved by the Anio River. The city of Tivoli, with an ancient history full of dramatic events, has several extremely interesting historical and architectural monuments, which are worth a separate excursion, because a day trip from the capital is enough.
Villa Adriana
One of the most famous monuments of Tivoli is a huge complex that was built as the residence of the Roman emperor Hadrian. The villa occupies an area of about 120 hectares. Tourists have the opportunity to see countless ruins of buildings built in ancient times.
The villa in Tivoli, which Emperor Hadrian chose as his summer residence precisely because of the picturesque landscapes of the surrounding nature, was a cozy haven for him, where he rested from the hectic social life of Rome. Today you can appreciate the incredible beauty of several objects that have been preserved better than others – the four baths, the Maritime Theater and the Piazza d’Oro (Golden Square). In addition, here you can admire ancient artifacts, numerous pottery and mosaics.
Gardens of the Villa d’Este
These, the most famous gardens in Italy, are considered by connoisseurs to be a model of landscape design in its heyday. The gardens spread out in the western part of Tivoli, next to the cathedral, occupy a fairly large area. So, you will need a lot of time to get acquainted with different corners of this green space. On the territory you will see several luxurious fountains: Central, Tivoli, as well as the Neptune fountain. They are decorated with exquisite ornaments and sculptural groups. The flora of the gardens is represented by the most diverse, including exotic plants.
Villa d’Este Palace
You can combine getting to know the gardens with a visit to the Villa d’Este, which was built in the 16th century under the leadership of Cardinal Ippolito d’Este. Thanks to its particularly advantageous location, from here you can admire the surrounding, incredibly picturesque landscapes and the Gardens d’Este. After visiting the villa, tourists have the opportunity to get acquainted with several restored halls restored to their original state.
Among the historically most important rooms of the palace are four famous halls: Glory, Hunting, Noah and First Tyburtinsky. Each of the rooms is decorated with masterpieces of Renaissance art. Walking through the halls, you seem to be immersed in the fascinating world of legends and stories, depicted with incredible skill.
Via delle Cascatelle street
In addition to the many historical monuments, it is worth visiting the incredibly beautiful Via delle Cascatelle (Street of the Waterfalls). It stretches through the territory of a luxurious park, which allows you to see majestic waterfalls in the North of the city.
If you move from the Gregorian Villa in the direction of Via Quintilio Varo, you can see not only the waterfalls, but the panorama of the city of Tivoli. The path snakes between mighty trees and lush green forest. And this is one of the best places for a walk in sunny weather.
If you want to see the falls from above, you should take the path that starts from Via Quintilio Varo and will lead you to the wonderful location where the falls actually originate. The element of water reigns here – a whirlpool of crystal, shining sprays, stormy cascades of water falling down with a great noise.
Of course, these are only a few interesting tourist locations. However, in your own travels, you will definitely discover many more incredibly interesting sights and get many wonderful experiences.