The gardens of Villa d'Este at Tivoli

Why it is on the list

It is the garden the others were measured against. Pirro Ligorio planned it for Cardinal Ippolito II d'Este, governor of Tivoli from 1550; the court architect Alberto Galvani built it, and the leading painters of late Roman Mannerism decorated the palace.¹ The river Aniene was diverted to feed its pools, jets and cascades down a slope of more than 45 metres, and the garden was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001.² The hydraulic organ of the Fountain of the Organ plays every day, every two hours from 10.30.¹ Franz Liszt stayed here as the guest of Cardinal Gustav Adolf von Hohenlohe; the Italian state restored the villa and opened it in the 1920s and 1930s.¹

It is the wrong day after heavy rain: when the Aniene rises, the fountains can be switched off for some days.¹ It is also the wrong day for anyone who wants the garden quiet on a crowded day, when entry is capped and the route can change.¹ For a garden seen only in small booked groups, the Giardino di Ninfa is the other choice.

How to get it

Buy a ticket online through the institute's ticket office, or at the desk at Piazza Trento 5; questions and bookings go to prenotazionivillae@rearonline.it.¹³ The VILLÆ Pass, EUR 30, covers Villa d'Este, Hadrian's Villa and the Sanctuary of Hercules Victor within 72 hours of the first entry.⁴ The villa is open every day from 8.30, Mondays from 14.00; in September the last entry is 18.15 and the gates close at 19.15, in October 17.30 and 18.30.¹ Arrive before 10.30 to be at the Fountain of the Organ when it first plays.¹

By car, take the A24 to the Tivoli exit and follow the Via Tiburtina into the centre, minding the limited-traffic zones; park in the multi-storey below the Rocca Pia, a few hundred metres away.¹ By train, go from Termini or Tiburtina to Tivoli station and walk.¹ The way in is at Piazza Trento and the way out is the gate on Piazza Campitelli; wear flat shoes, since most of the visit is outdoors on steps and slopes.¹

Discretion

Avoid the free days, the first Sunday of each month, 25 April, 2 June and 4 November: when visitors are many, entry is capped and some rooms can close.¹ Drones are not allowed, and neither are period costumes without the director's permission.¹