Villa D’Este Tour – Tivoli

Near the town of “Tivoli”, 20 minutes from Rome, “Villa d’Este” is an example of renaissance architecture that people come from all over the world to admire. “Villa d’Este” was commissioned by the “Cardinal Ippolito II d’Este”, son of “Lucrezia Borgia” and the duke “Alphonse I”. The architect who designed the villa, “Pirro Ligorio”, employed a huge number of artists and artisans, and it took him nearly 20 years to finish it! The end result, however, was more than worth it, and with the Villa d’Este tour you will be able to admire this masterpiece of renaissance art and architecture in all its glory.

The inside of “Villa d’Este” is decorated with beautiful frescoes that create perspective illusions that make the rooms seem bigger. Painted in these rooms you will see “beautiful parks”, scenes from “Classical mythology”, and the symbols of the aristocratic families that lived in this beautiful villa.

The Villa d’Este tour will of course also let you visit its world-famous gardens and fountains. In one of the most famous spots, you will see “The Hundred Fountains”, where one hundred small jets of water come out of the mouths of animal heads carved in the stone. In the green foliage between one fountain and the next you can also see some eagle statues, symbol of the Este family. The “Fountain of the Organ” has a functioning water organ inside it that is still played occasionally. In this fountain you will see the statues of two violin players and an angel coming out of a giant oyster shell in the water. The “Fountain of the Dragons” is a wonderful example of symmetry. A huge jet of water goes up vertically in the center of four dragon statues, and the fountain itself is in the middle of two curved stairways that will allow you to see the fountain from above and from all angles. “La Rometta” is a fountain dedicated to the city of Rome. On the small hill directly over the fountain you can see a statue depicting Rome, personified as a woman with a military helmet and a spear. To her right there is another symbol of Rome, the “she-wolf” who raised “Romolus” and “Remus”, the protagonists of the legend of the foundation of Rome. You will see these and other fountains with the Villa d’Este tour. In the beautiful gardens you will see tall trees and perfectly cut hedges that form geometrical patterns. There are also many statues in the garden, hidden inside grottoes and looking over the paths. Symmetry and order are one of the main characteristics of the Italian style garden along with the presence of statues and fountains, and the gardens of “Villa d’Este” are a perfect example of this historic gardening style.

The Villa d’Este tour will show you a renaissance villa and one of the most beautiful gardens in all of Europe.