Hadrian's villa & Villa D'Este at Tivoli

Hadrian's villa & Villa D'Este at Tivoli

Take a journey through time back to the Roman Empire. Once picked up, we head to a small town located on the Monti Tiburtini (Tiburtine Hills), the city of Tivoli, founded in 1215 B.C. It is best-known for its two villas on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites: Hadrian’s Villa (Villa Adriana) and Villa d'Este. First we will visit Villa Adriana. Emperor Adrian chose to build his magnificent estate so he could relax away from Rome. It consisted of baths, fountains, large halls, all beautifully decorated with statues and mosaics in a very innovative style. After a two hour guided tour we will head back to town for lunch followed by a walk to discover its gems starting from via Campitelli, a medieval street crossing the centre. Here you can admire the medieval houses and buildings, leading you all the way to "Porta San Pietro alla Carità", a historical church. Finally we will head to the most important monument Villa d’Este. Villa d’Este was built in the XVI century over the ruins of a Benedictine monastery for the cardinal Ippolito II d’Este. This place is very popular due to its frescoes coming from the Roman school of Cinquecento and, above all, the splendid Italian style gardens. The garden is divided between terraces, slopes, waterfalls, churches and beautiful fountains that create spectacular water play. We will start our tour by exploring the villa and its apartments then moving on to the gardens where you will have some time to relax, contemplate and enjoy the secenery.