The first site one sees on arrival, but interestingly there is no information on what it was or now is.
You can separate the city of Tivoli from the gardens. Tivoli is the destination point for many Italians and tourists who want to get away from the heat in Rome.Some have homes, others rent, but this is a close destination for Romans to visit. It’s located on a hilltop overlooking a part of Rome, but the most famous end point for tourists is the Villa D’Este gardens. It's magical.
No member of the church should have had the right or power to build an elaborate, elegant villa for himself, but in 1550 Ipolito d’Este, Cardinal of Ferrara and governor of Tivoli, took over a Benedictine convent and soon began to restructure the convent to his vision. Its grottoes, gardens, statues and water fountains were designed with architectural skill and the fountains, et al, were created with lots of imagination and skill. The surrounding sounds of water flowing, gushing and spouting do provide a serene location for rest and recuperation. The Cardinal must have needed all this for his recreation.
Here is a glimpse of the gardens and villa as seen by us. It has immense beauty.
Part of the old wall with a view toward Rome
The fountain in the upper center of the Gardens
flow of water to create the sound.
A stranger posing in front of the pool and major fountain
Strangers continue to get into our photos
An old wall
A overview of a fountain and pool
The Villa's strong men
Oh dear, were the strongmen responsible??
We've seen him somewhere on our trip. He was alive and well then
In that picture of an old bust, do you know who that statue was of?
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