Private Tours - Personal Guides

The Tivoli tour includes, in addition to a visit to the medieval village, the entrance to its two most important villas.

Villa d’Este, the first, was commissioned by Cardinal Ippolito d’Este, Governor of the city, in 1560, so they say to console himself for the fact that he was unable, despite his efforts, to become pope. Excellent example of a two-storey late Renaissance villa, overlooking a terraced garden, designed by the architect Pirro Ligorio. The garden is animated by bizarre perspectives, populated by numerous sculptures and by over 56 monumental fountains, including the Fontana dell'Organo Idraulico, to which are added waterfalls and basins with numerous water features, all fed by the powerful currents of the Aniene river.

But well before the popes and cardinals arrived, the area of ​​Tivoli was chosen by the roman emperor Hadrian to carry out a spectacular project: the construction of a set of different structures inspired by Egyptian, Greek and Roman architecture, interspersed with gardens and parks. The unifying principle of the entire complex, Villa Adriana, almost an ideal city that extends over an area of ​​120 hectares and is now a UNESCO heritage site, was undoubtedly the love that Adriano had for culture, being himself a poet and passionate about music, architecture, literature, philosophy.