Villa D'Este Gardens Tivoli

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
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A pathway

One of the many grottoes
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The fountain in the upper center of the Gardens

The pool with a major fountain in the background. Every half hour, the organ plays which uses the
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

Statue in a grotto

A lactating statue

An old wall

An old bust

A overview of a fountain and pool

A few nymphs.

The Villa's strong men

Oh dear, were the strongmen responsible??

Patio

We've seen him somewhere on our trip. He was alive and well then