A summer retreat for ancient Romans and the Renaissance rich, the hilltop town of Tivoli is home to two Unesco World Heritage Sites: Villa Adriana, the sprawling estate of Emperor Hadrian, and the 16th-century Villa d’Este, a Renaissance retreat famous for its landscaped gardens and lavish fountains.
Tivoli is a town and comune in Lazio, central Italy, about 30 kilometres (19 miles) east-north-east of Rome, at the falls of the Aniene river where it issues from the Sabine hills. The city offers a wide view over the Roman Campagna.
HIGLIGHTS
Tivoli is a commune of the greater metropolitan area of Rome in the region of Lazio. Despite its small size and close proximity to the eternal city, Tivoli actually has a great range of fantastic attractions and sites and is a great place to visit.
Villa Adriana
Covering an area of 120 hectares, this magnificent complex contains a myriad of well-preserved structures and offers superb insight into ancient Rome.
The Emperor used this villa as a retreat from Rome during the 2nd century AD and Tivoli was chosen due to its picturesque landscape.
Today you can find many beautiful buildings still standing such as the Grandi Terme, the Quadriportico, the Teatro Marittimo and the Piazza d’Oro.
Villa d’Este Gardens
These gardens are possibly the best known in Italy and represent the pinnacle of Italian landscape garden design.
Located in the western part of the town centre near the Duomo, the gardens are expansive and you could easily spend hours exploring the various different segmented areas.
Within the gardens you can find several beautiful fountains including the monumental Fontana di Nettuno, the Fontana di Tivoli and Le Centro Fontane – each fountain is adorned with sculptures and ornate decoration.
Villa d’Este Palace
The Villa e’Este was created during the 16th century under the instruction of Cardinal Ippolito d’Este.
Due to its location, the villa offers sublime views of the surrounding landscape and the gorgeous Villa d’Este Gardens.
Within the villa itself you can find a number of different rooms that have been restored and maintained in their original condition.
The detail and decoration found within these rooms is spectacular.
Notable rooms include The Hall of the Hunt, the Hall of Glory, the Hall of Noah and the First Tributine Hall.
Via delle Cascatelle
If you walk from the Villa Gregoriana and towards the Via Quintilio Varo you can see the waterfalls and the town of Tivoli.
The path winds through some beautiful woods and is a pleasant place to hike during fine weather.
Rocca Pia
The Rocca Pia is an ancient medieval fortress that was built during the 15th century.
This beautiful structure was constructed during the conflicts of the Guelph’s and Ghibellines and was built to strengthen the defense of Tivoli.
What makes this structure so intriguing is its fantastic symmetrical design and the fact that it stands in such good condition despite being over 500 years old.
Tivoli Cathedral
The Cathedral of Tivoli is the main religious building in the town and is also known as the Duomo of San Lorenzo Martire.
The structure that currently stands in Tivoli was constructed in the 12th century in a Romanesque style.
Although the exterior is quite plain, there is a large bell tower and the white washed walls have various inscriptions.
Inside the cathedral however is a different story – the main aisle contains some absolutely stunning decoration on the ceilings, arches and main altar.
Villa Gregoriana
This romantic complex is nestled within the valley of the Aniene River and is a great place to walk through in the eastern part of Tivoli.
Commissioned by Pope Gregory XVI in the 19th century, the villa has a series of beautiful gardens, grottos and paths that wind through the landscape.
Main sights
Little Waterfalls under the Ponte Gregoriano.Upper part of the Temple of the Tosse.View of Tivoli by Hendrik Frans van Lint, 1731
- Villa Adriana, part of the UNESCO World Heritage site list from 1999
- Villa d’Este, part of the UNESCO World Heritage site list since 2001
- Villa Gregoriana
- Rocca Pia, a fortress built by Pope Pius II in 1461 to counter the urban strife between the Colonna and Orsini families
- Temple of Vesta
- Temple of „Tiburtine Sibyl“ (true dedication unknown). It was built in the second century BC on an artificial platform in the acropolis. Characterized by Ionic columns (only two of which remain today), it measures 15.90 by 9.15 metres (52.2 by 30.0 ft). The interior was decorated by frescoes and stuccoes, now lost. A church, dedicated to St. George, is known to have existed in the temple from as early as 978.
- Sanctuary of Hercules Victor (second century BC). Now in ruins, it was one of the largest structures in central Italy at the time, and was located outside the ancient city, across the road leading to Samnium. Measuring 188 by 140 metres (617 by 459 ft), it included a theater, a large porticoed square and the temple. It was reached through a series of terraces, in a similar fashion to the Sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia in Palestrina. The sanctuary also housed one of the more frequented council of musicians in Roman Italy.
- Tivoli Cathedral (Duomo, rebuilt from 1635 to 1641)
- Roman Temple of the Tosse, located near the Temple of Hercules and the Villa d’Este and dating perhaps to the early fourth century. It is a circular structure with a hole in the 12-metre (39 ft) diameter dome. In the tenth century it was turned into a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
Economy and infrastructure
Tivoli’s quarries produce travertine, a particular white calcium-carbonate rock used in building most Roman monuments. The water power of the falls supplies some of the electricity that lights Rome. The slopes of the neighbouring hills are covered with olives, vineyards and gardens; the most important local industry is the manufacture of paper.
