Tivoli, Italy should be known as the city of “Three Villas.” There are many reasons to visit this iconic, magnificent town just a 30 minute direct train ride from Rome, and all three of them involve what could collectively be called “villas,” though they are all different.
Villa Gregoriana, Villa d’Este and Villa Adriana (also known as Hadrian) are all so different, even though we have not been to the last one yet. That’s coming up next week. But Gregoriana should be called the Villa of Waterfalls, whereas d’Este should be labeled the Villa of Fountains, since it has more than I have ever seen in one location. Fifty one of them according to Wikipedia, and one more magnificent than the other.
Gregoriana I wrote about in a former blog, and it still remains my fave since it is so unique. Between natural cliffs, man made and natural waterfalls, foliage to light up your eyeballs, and a lot of climbing up and down ridges, Gregoriana just took my breath away. As we walk to our favorite cappuccino spot most mornings (Flo’s), we cross over the Gregoriana bridge, 2000 years old, which overlooks the park. I cannot cross that bridge without stopping and peering over the edge and thanking God for his creation. As a matter of fact, this morning we went downstairs from Flo’s and found a staircase leading to an underground cavern and viewing area! The picture is here. But back to d’Este, which we visited today.
This one charged 10 euros, vs. eight for Gregoriana and I think was not as good a value. Even so, I have no issue supporting the efforts to maintain such an estate. And it IS an estate, built back in the 16th century and is likewise listed as a UNESCO world heritage site. Over 4.5 hectares (11 acres, still trying to learn metrics!) there are many fountains, some large and others not so large. There is a large interior palace with many tapestries and paintings, but the grounds is where the action is.
The Fountain of Europa- spectacular; The Hundred Fountains- extends about 200 feet of solid fountains, and the Fountain of Rometta, with its many tiers and levels of water treatment and landscaping. And by the way, there are no pumps to be found, these are all head by gravity.
We spent about three hours there on a beautiful afternoon and were able to see what needed to be seen. We saw lots of Americans, tour groups out of Rome, and heard more English speakers than we had for a while.
Bottom line, Villa #2 gets a hearty thumbs up from me and I suspect Adrian’s Villa will do the same. Stand by…
