Villa d'Este (Tivoli)
Villa d'Este
The masterpiece of Renaissance garden design, with hundreds of fountains and water features cascading down terraces. It is a popular UNESCO World Heritage day trip from Rome.
The Villa d'Este lies in the hilltop town of Tivoli, about 30 km east of Rome. It was built in the mid-16th century by Cardinal Ippolito d'Este and was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001. The terraced gardens, built into the hillside, are filled with hundreds of fountains, pools and waterfalls. Along the “Avenue of the Hundred Fountains,” countless carved stone spouts line the way. The organ fountain plays music at set times, powered by water pressure, and the Fountain of Neptune is especially majestic. Inside the villa are richly decorated rooms with frescoes. You can reach Tivoli by train from Tiburtina station or take a COTRAL bus from Metro Line B's Ponte Mammolo station. The journey takes about one hour. It is often combined with a visit to Hadrian's Villa, which is about 4 km away.
Opening hours
About 08:45 until one hour before sunset (varies by season; check the official website)
Nearby sights
- Hadrian's Villa
- Archbasilica of St. John Lateran
- Appian Way & Catacombs of San Callisto
- Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore
- Basilica of San Clemente
- Galleria Borghese
- San Pietro in Vincoli
- Colosseum