Private Walking Tour: Villa Adriana & Villa d'Este in Tivoli

Hadrian's Villa is a grandiose complex of ruins of palaces, baths, theaters, gymnasiums and porticoes. It was built on the hills south of Tivoli and includes scale reproductions of the places and buildings that had most impressed the emperor in his travels through the provinces. Villa Adriana was a complex of over 30 buildings, on an area of 250 acres, and much remains to be excavated. It was the largest Roman example of Alexandrian Garden, recreated on a sacred landscape. The villa included palaces, several baths, theaters, temples, libraries, whose construction was inspired by different styles, especially Greek and Egyptian. The construction of the Hadrian's villa began the year after his rise to power, and accompanied him for the rest of his life. A lover of beauty, Hadrian was passionate about architecture, and personally implemented the design and planning of buildings and took care of the design and demanded to be submitted all the issues of construction and decoration.

Villa d'Este is an extraordinary and sophisticated example of Renaissance culture. For its ground-breaking design and the layout of the architectural elements, it represents a unique example of the Italian garden style of the sixteenth century. Villa d'Este, one of the first gardens of wonders, served as a model and had a decisive influence on the development of gardens in Europe. The complex shape covers an area of about 12 acres, and it is slightly irregular because the architect had to use some parts of the pre-existing monastic building. The garden of Villa d'Este extends along steep slopes descending from the palace to a flat terrace. Among the others, the garden of fountains is a masterpiece of hydraulic engineering, both for the general conception of the system and for the complexity of the distribution system and the its water features.