With our 2 week trip in Italy winding down, we made our way to Tivoli. Tivoli is a town only 30 kilometers outside of Rome. We stayed just inside the medieval section, which dates back to 338 BC. The evening of our arrival, Donna and I decided to walk around the old city. You can feel the history of the city as you walk around, many of the buildings showing their age but still retain their charm.
Old section of Tivoli – rustic yet charming
Gate of Castrovetere section of town
Tivoli is also home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites – Hadrian’s Villa (also known as Villa Adriana) and Villa d’Este. We decided to check out Villa d’Este since it was within walking distance of our hotel. Originally built in the 16th century for Cardinal Ippolito II d’Este, it was nearly finished when the Cardinal passed in 1572. After about 100 years, the estate went into ruin until 1922 when the Italian state took it over and began it’s restoration. The Villa d’Este has an extraordinary system of fountains: fifty-one fountains and nymphaeums, 398 spouts, 364 water jets, 64 waterfalls, and 220 basins, fed by 875 meters of canals, channels and cascades, and all working entirely by the force of gravity, without pumps. While the villa itself is breathtaking, the surrounding gardens, in my opinion, are the real appeal of this magical place. Photography is not allowed inside the villa, although it seems most people don’t follow the rule.
Looking at the gardens at Villa d’Este
statue of Rome Triumphant
looking down the row of the hundred fountains
The Oval Fountain
The Fountain of Neptune
The Fountain of Diana of Ephesus, or “Mother Nature”
I think I could have wandered around the gardens all day long, but we had to head out for our last destination of this trip – Rome.
What can be said about Rome? I mean, it’s Rome!!! It’s history spans 28 centuries. It’s the 4th most populated city in Europe and is a global city. We decided to stay right in the tourist-populated section, right near the Trevi Fountain. We walked around the shops, took in the Trevi Fountain and Spanish steps. We ended our evening with a delightful meal at That’s Amore restaurant.
This vacation covered a lot of ground (literally) but it was all so amazing! I want to give a special shout out to my travel companions, Ambryn and Donna! Thanks for putting up with my spastic driving and for making this such a fun trip! We made Italy our own for sure and it was an experience I will never forget!
Until the next adventure…..
April's Adventures 