Tivoli

Centuries-ago architecture is the main attraction in lovely Tivoli

The hill town of Tivoli, 20 miles east of Rome, has as its major attraction Hadrian's Villa. The ancient ruins of the grand estate of the globe-trotting Roman emperor are among Italy’s most impressive. Hadrian (A.D. 135), an amateur architect, designed much of his royal residence, filling it with the architectural wonders he'd seen on his many travels, including the Teatro Marittimo, a circular maritime theater, as well as temples, fountains, gardens, statuary-bordered canals—and sculptures galore, some of which now grace Rome’s museums. In later centuries, barbarians and popes carted off much of what made the villa so spectacular. But enough of the fragmented ruins remain for us to piece together the story.

Also in Tivoli is the spectacular Villa d'Este, built by a cardinal in the mid-16th century; however, the villa is just an afterthought to its breathtaking hillside gardens. This landscape appears like a Renaissance fairytale, using water as a sculptural medium; there are fountains in every imaginable shape and size.

After taking in these two main sights, wander Tivoli’s attractive piazzas and lanes, on which you’re likely to see turreted homes, a throwback to when residential architecture had to take war into account.

© 2009, Wiley Publishing, Inc.