A trip out to Tivoli, just eastof Rome, makes for a perfect and relaxing day, when you need a little rest fromextensive sightseeing in the city. On your way out, you will pass theTravertine marble quarries from which so many of Rome’s important buildingswere constructed. Tivoli itself is a very pleasant town, perched on a hill butits main claim to fame lies in its country villas, Hadrian’s Villa and theVilla d’Este. The emperor Hadrian was very well travelled and when he decidedto build a country villa, he was greatly influenced by some of the spectacularsights he’d seen on his travels. The result was probably the largest and mostsumptuous villa in the Roman Empire and by any standards, it is huge and coversan area that would normally be occupied by a small town. The site became a sortof retirement home for Hadrian, from 135AD until his death three years later.Here you will see the remains of peaceful and romantic gardens, pools, atheatre and baths, which were of course an essential part of any Roman villa.From here, you will visit the stunning Villa d’Este, built for CardinalIppolito d’Este in the mid-16th century. Its gardens and fountains are legendrybut the restored ground floor apartments have some stunning frescoes.
