A day to Tivoli from Civitavecchia

Villa d’Este, masterpiece of the Italian Garden, is included in the UNESCO world heritage list. With its impressive concentration of fountains, nymphs, grottoes, plays of water, and music, it constitutes a much-copied model for European gardens in the mannerist and baroque styles.

Hadrian's Villa in Tivoli bears witness to the grandeur of the Roman Empire. It is one of the best kept and most visited archaeological sites in Italy. This is why it has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999. The villa was built by Roman Emperor Hadrian at the foot of the Tiburtine Hills between 118 and 138 AD. The vast residential complex extended over an area of about 120 hectares (about 300 acres) and looked very much like an ancient Roman city. The site included buildings, baths, temples, barracks, theatres, gardens, fountains and nymphaeums. The villa itself was designed on two levels: the upper floor, quiet and welcoming, was reserved for the emperor’s official use, while the lower floor was noisy and bustled with the work of slaves.