Fun things to do in Tivoli

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Between the Small and the Great Baths you can see the vestibolo. From the ruins scholars supposed to be made by three buidings connected to one another. At the center there was a square courtyard suroounded by a portico. To the west side of the central building there was a tetrastyle temple dedicated to Matidia, emperor Hadrian's mother-in-law.

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famous for its water system, the architecture of its gardens, the pavilions, the artificial caves and the fountains.

the famed Tivoli water-and-wind garden, a haven for princes and lovers of the humanities, and arguably the most beautiful villa in all of Italy.

SPEND SOME TIME THERE
ENJOY..

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Take an hour or two to walk around town and see for things other than the villas. There are lots of hills, beautiful churches, cobblestone streets, and little alleyways that add a lot of charm to it. In many ways, it's straight out of the olden days and very much worth exploring. Just get a map from the tourist/info booth and trek away!

Rocca Pia is a Medieval castle from the 15th century, named after Pope Pius II. It is visible from most places in town and an important part of the history of Tivoli, but unfortunately, the inside cannot be visited.

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Every turn in the pathway leads to a remarkable new vista combining the pathways between fountains, the fountains themselves and as seen through the lush trees and bushes that fill the area below the palace. Here, four representative images. Never look down - you never know what you will miss. We were repeatedly struck by the visualization of the major fountains from multiple viewpoints indicating the care with which the plantings had been arranged.

The fountain of the Bicchierone (large water glass) was not part of the original plan but added more than a century later. It represents a chalice held by a giant sea shell and is one of the more serene fountains.

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Named for its oval shape and also called the Fountain of Tivoli, this fountain symbolically represents the falls of the Tivoli river with the upper part the surrounding Tiburtin mountains. From the mountains 3 rivers come down to form the main stream or Tiber. The 3 rivers are imaged as statues set in niches in the fountain, as always in the Villa d'Este.

The fountain Rometta is the most unique and original of the existing fountains at Tivoli, although nowhere near as complex as originally conceived. Many of the original miniatures have been destroyed or have disintegrated based on drawings from the 17th Century. At the base of the fountain and not seen in the image is a boat shaped island in the water representing the Tiburna island where Rome was first settled.