Best of Tivoli: Villa D’Este e Villa Adriana

Swap the hustle and bustle of Rome for a serene half-day excursion in Tivoli, the picturesque countryside town and home to Hadrian’s Villa and the Villa d’Este, both of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites and masterpieces of opulence and delight. The first of these ‘get away’ villas dates to the second century and the second to the Sixteenth century.

Adrian was the most widely travelled emperor as well as an amateur architect, and his Villa is full of innovative designs based on iconic places he visited throughout the Roman Empire. Villa d’Este, on the other hand, was built by Cardinal Ippolito d’Este to console himself after a failed bid for the papacy. It is best known for its incredible fountains designed by Pirro Ligorio.