Tivoli

Tivoli is just 30 kilometers (19 miles) east of Rome, less than an hour by train. It was a favorite get away from Rome’s heat and squalor for the elite. Tivoli sits on a hill overlooking the plain below. The emperor Hadrian built his villa, which was more of a small city, on the plain just below the town and ruled from here when he was not touring the empire. The main site of this beautiful town is the Villa D’Este, built by Cardinal Ippolito II d’Este, the son of Lucrezia Borgia. The grounds are covered by spectacular water fountains and pools, with great views of the surrounding countryside below.

Views of the plain below Tivoli, Taken from the patio of the Villa D’Este. Hadrian’s Villa is a few miles across the plain.