Villa d'Este

Tivoli, Italy

The Villa d'Este is a 16th-century villa in Tivoli, near Rome, famous for its terraced hillside Italian Renaissance garden and especially for its profusion of fountains: the extraordinary system contains fifty-one fountains and nymphaeums, 398 spouts, 364 water jets, 64 waterfalls, and 220 basins, fed by 875 meters of canals, channels and cascades, and all working entirely by the force of gravity, without pumps. It is now an Italian state museum, and is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site.

Tivoli had been a popular summer residence since ancient Roman times due to its altitude, cooler temperatures and its proximity to the Villa Hadriana, the summer residence of the Emperor Hadrian I.

The Villa was commissioned by Cardinal Ippolito II d'Este (1509-1572), second son of Alfonso I d'Este, the Duke of Ferrara and grandson of Pope Alexander VI, along with Lucrezia Borgia. d'Este commissioned a prominent classical scholar, Pirro Ligorio, who had studied the Villa Hadriana and other Roman sites the vicinity, to plan a new villa and garden which would exceed anything the Romans had built. He obtained an abundant supply of marble and statuary from the ruins of Hadrian's villa.

The construction began to slow in 1569, probably due to the financial difficulties of the Cardinal. He spent more and more of his time in the villa, reading and meeting with the leading poets, artists and philosophers of the Renaissance. In 1572, the Cardinal died in Rome, and was buried in a simple tomb in the church adjoining the Villa.

With the death of Ippolito in 1572, the villa and gardens passed to his nephew, Cardinal Luigi (1538-1586), who continued work on some of the unfinished fountains and gardens, but struggled with high maintenance costs. After his death in 1586 Cardinal Alessandro d'Este (1538-1624) carried out a major renovation of the gardens and water systems, as well as building a new system of fountains in the lower garden.

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Details

Founded: Italian Renaissance (1550)
Category: Palaces, manors and town halls in Italy

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

iLorem Photography (2 months ago)
A Renaissance masterpiece located in piazza Trento, Tivoli, easily accessible and close to several parking areas. Be aware of the limited traffic zones (ZTL) in the historic center. The gardens are spectacular, with unique fountains and water features. There are public restrooms within the park, conveniently located near the main attractions. Entrance is paid, but it's truly worth it. A visit is a must for anyone who loves art and history. Leave a like and follow me for more reviews!
manucsn (2 months ago)
Place is extremely well preserved, especially the palace with many amazing frescoes. The garden is nice, the only negative is the fountain with the music….expectations are high but it is just a piano playing under a fountain, with no extra attractions. Price is 15 EUR (2025)….so not cheap for Italy, but maintenance of the site is very well done. You can also find some drinking water at some fountains. Not easy moving for wheelchairs. No parking close to the palace, but Tivoli is not big and you can easy walk through the city centre
Mengyang Liu (4 months ago)
It is an interesting place to visit. You can see all sorts of fountains in this villa. There will be some uphill walks. The major music fountain has fixed show times so you really need to check the last show time before you visit this place. I went there and missed the last show time. Parking is not directly on site. You need to probably park in the city center and then walk there. But it is quite close to a big parking lot nearby. No need to book tickets in advance. Not many visitors.
Scott Wright (4 months ago)
There is a cost to get in. 2024 was $12 for the basic visit. If you get there early enough in the day you can do the Philip pass and if you're going to see three or more villas it definitely pays for itself. But just visiting this one is definitely well worth it. It is lovely to look in the gardens. Be aware if you're there too close to closing the Italians don't mean closing at a specific time. They mean they are already locked up, cleaned up and going home at that time. So they will walk you out of the gardens 15 minutes early and just push you straight on out of the house. So you are out of the house before 5. :00. Even though that's supposedly the closing time. That was the only negative part of our experience. The garden's really were lovely to go see. Many of the features were not working in November, I don't know if that's because of the cold planning for winter or if they're just broken. But many of the big features definitely were working and there is some great views and pictures to be had in this place
Laura Hampden (5 months ago)
These historic buildings and gardens were a dream! So many beautiful things to see in one place. I would love to go back. If it’s hot, take lots of water! There are lots of places to sit and rest and take in the surroundings. The organ fountain is timed, so if you want to see it, make sure you know what time it plays.
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