A splendid Renaissance Palace with valuable frescoes on the walls and ceilings. What will impress you most, however, are the grand Italian-style gardens. They stretch over two terraced slopes with centenary trees and more than 500 fountains: a true oasis built for Cardinal d’Este’s exile. Listen to Bernini’s Fountain of the Organ “playing” music using only water pressure, and admire the incredible ‘Avenue of the Hundred Fountains.’ The multitude of waterfalls, artistic fountains, ponds, grottoes (caves), and spectacular waterways use gravity and hydraulics as their sole sources of power.

Tivoli is one of the most visited towns outside Rome; let’s understand why. Hadrian’s Villa project Hadrian’s Villa was the Versailles-like palace from which the Emperor governed his Empire; not too far from Rome, its grounds cover more than 300 acres of parkland and are filled with duplicates of his favorite buildings from throughout the Empire. These spectacular replicas are clear evidence of the extravagance of Emperor Hadrian himself. A few examples include the Teatro Marittimo, a circular residence on an artificial isle; the Egyptian Canopus, with its statue-lined canal; and the high wall of Athens Pecile, which sits directly opposite the pool.