Peter D'Attoma, President of DaVinci Custom Travel & Tours

The next time you visit Rome, be sure to include a stop and visit of Tivoli.

Tivoli is an historic hill town in the Lazio region of Italy, and is one of the most popular destinations for daytrips from Rome. It is located approximately 20 miles northeast of the Eternal City and has been a traditional getaway for the wealthy and famous since ancient Roman times. Tivoli’s most famous tourist attractions are the magnificent gardens of the Villa d’Este and the extensive ruins of Hadrians Villa (known as the Villa Adriana).

Tivoli is situated on the Aniene River to the east of Rome, in the Monti Tiburtini Hills where the climate is cooler and fresher than Rome’s, particularly during the hot summer months. For this reason, the area was popular from ancient times onwards with Rome’s wealthy class, who built summer retreats in the area. As the town was on a major trading route from Rome to Abruzzi, Tivoli has always been an important settlement. Modern Tivoli has just a little over 50,000 inhabitants and spreads out far beyond the crumbling picturesque historical center. In the suburb of Bagni di Tivoli, on the plains below the town center, it is still possible to bathe in the natural thermal springs. The fourth century BC town wall is still visible, as are temples from the second century BC.

There is plenty to see and do in Tivoli. The highlight of a day trip here is its two famous villas: The Villa d’Este and the Villa Adriana.

Villa d’Este

The Renaissance Villa d’Este was built in the 1550s for Cardinal Ippolito d’Este, the son of Lucretia Borgia, over a Benedictine convent. The palace was intended for entertaining and contains lavishly frescoed reception rooms. The main attraction here is its breathtaking garden, which was designed to impress the cardinal’s guests. The Villa d’Este’s gardens are composed almost exclusively of water features. Fountains of every description will dazzle you -- from the grand “Fountain of the Dragons” and “Hundred Fountains,” to a miniature watery reproduction of Rome. The centerpiece, the gigantic water organ fountain, cascades down a huge drop into quiet, shady pools.

The sixteenth-century fountains and gardens of Villa d’Este in Tivoli, set along the slopes of the hill beneath the villa building, were celebrated in their own time as an eighth Wonder of the World for their magnificence.

The Villa d’Este’s gardens are still luxuriant and create a perfect setting for the countless fountains in highly imaginative forms and ensembles that make this architectural itinerary through a refreshing cool environment one that will lift your spirits even on a hot day. You will learn about the tremendous effort involved to create the green garden over a limestone terrain and to channel the water through the town to feed the fountains, and the ill will created among the humble people of Tivoli, who had little love for the pope and for the cardinal who represented him in Tivoli.

Villa Adriana

For those with an interest in antiquities, the Villa Adriana (Hadrian’s Villa) alone is worth the trip to Tivoli. The Emperor Hadrian conceived a countryside dwelling here that would by normal standards be considered a town.

Villa Adriana was created at Tibur (modern-day Tivoli) as a retreat from Rome for Emperor Hadrian in the early second century. Hadrian was said to dislike the palace on the Palatine Hill in Rome, leading to the construction of the retreat. During the later years of his reign, he actually governed the empire from the villa. During the decline of the Roman Empire, the Villa fell into disuse and was partially ruined. In the sixteenth century, Cardinal Ippolito II d’Este had much of the marble and statues in Hadrian’s villa removed to decorate his own Villa d’Este located nearby.

Hadrian’s villa was a complex of 30 buildings covering an area of at least 250 acres, of which much is still unexcavated. A gigantic complex with underground service passages big enough for vehicles, the villa incorporates lakes, fountains, libraries, baths, temples and gardens. The area that it covers is staggering. The villa was the greatest Roman Empire of an Alexandrian garden, recreating a sacred landscape.

The Villa shows echoes of many different architectural orders, mostly Greek and Egyptian. Hadrian supervised the building work personally and architectural features were included to remind the Emperor of his travels and the countries he had visited.

One of the most striking and best-preserved parts of the Villa are a pool and an artificial grotto. The Villa Adriana utilizes numerous architectural styles and innovations. The area has an extensive network of underground tunnels. These tunnels were used to transport servants and goods from one area to another. The paths and roads above the ground were reserved for more high-ranking residents of the Villa.

Domes and barrel vaults are used extensively. The domes of the steam baths have circular holes on the apex to allow steam to escape. This is reminiscent of the Pantheon, also built by Hadrian.

Many beautiful artifacts have been unearthed and restored at the Villa. Many copies of Greek statues have been found and even Egyptian style interpretations of Roman gods and vice versa. Most of these have been taken to Rome for preservation and restoration and can be seen at the Musei Capitolini or the Musei Vaticani.

Hadrian’s Villa is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an important cultural and archaeological site. It is also a major tourist destination, along with the nearby Villa d’Este and the town of Tivoli. The academy of the villa was placed on the 100 most endangered sites 2006 list of the World Monuments watch because of the rapid deterioration of the ruins.

Getting There

There are two ways to reach Tivoli from Rome:

Trains leave from Rome’s Stazione Tiburtina for Tivoli about every hour. The cost of the ticket is 2.50 euros for the 40-minute trip. The Tivoli train station is located a little outside the town center. You will need to take a local cab (available just outside the train station) to get to your destination. You will definitely need a taxi to visit the Villa Adriana since it is out of town.

Buses are also a good way to get to Tivoli. The bus company Linee Laziali offers frequent service from Ponte Mannolo in Rome. You can also take Metro Line B to the last stop, Rebibbia (a 15-minute trip) and at the bus terminal switch to a Cotral Bus for Tivoli. Buses depart every 20 minutes for the 30-minute trip, and tickets cost 6 euros.

You can also take a public tour from Rome and avoid the hassle of driving and the trouble of dealing with transportation in a foreign language. A good reliable agency to contact is Agriletum Tour Operator, located on Via Madonna dei Monti 49, just off the Via Cavour. Their phone number is 06-4782-5706 (local Rome number). They run a four-hour tour leaving from Rome Tuesday through Sunday in the early afternoon for 49 euros. The price includes admission to Villa Adriana and Villa d’Este and they also pick up from centrally located hotels in Rome.

The tourist office in Tivoli is located in the central square of Largo Garibaldi. They are open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. and on Sunday from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Peter D’Attoma is president of DaVinci Custom Travel & Tours. He has over 25 years of planning and designing independent, custom and escorted tours of Italy for individuals, groups and incentives. For more information call 330-633-2292 or visit www.davincicustomtravel.com.