Stephanie Zammit

Tivoli is a beautiful city situated along the Aniene river, an hour’s train ride from Roma Tiburtina station. Its main attractions are three villas – Villa Gregoriana, Villa d’Este and Villa Adriana.

Having only the time to visit two out of the three I opted for the first two as Villa Adriana is a Roman villa and thus perhaps similar to what I had been seeing in Rome itself. However Villa Gregoriana and Villa d’Este are two beauties each with a very particular character – the first is known for its natural beauty and the second for its vast amount of spectacular fountains.

Villa Gregoriana

Situated around five minutes’ walk away from the train station, in an area previously known as the Valle dell’Inferno (Valley of Hell), Villa Gregoriana is highly worth a visit. I was told by locals that this villa had been closed and abandoned for many years and was then re-opened this year after undergoing renovation works at the hands of FAI – Fondo per l’Ambiente Italiano. I was lucky enough to visit it in November since Villa Gregoriana is only open by appointment from 1 December until 28 February.

The villa derives its name from Pope Gregory XVI whose actual intention was to protect the city of Tivoli from the devastating floods of the river Aniene, by deviating this river into the Gregorian Tunnels (1832 – 1835) and creating a vast waterfall. The engineer Clemente Folchi was commissioned by Pope Gregory XVI to design the tunnels and this project drew admiration from all over Europe for its boldness. Two parallel underground tunnels, 280m long were dug out of Monte Catillo, which led the water to the new great waterfall. At the same time, work was also commenced to transform the area into a picturesque garden and this garden, comprised of the waterfall, tunnels, grottos and archaeological remains is the Villa Gregoriana as we know it today.

Villa Gregoriana is known mostly for its Grande Cascata, an imposing waterfall with a 105-metre drop overlooking Villa Gregoriana to the northeast, as well as for the Tempio di Vesta and the Tempio della Sibilla which it houses, which have now become symbols for the city of Tivoli.

Villa Gregoriana also houses the ruins of the villa of Manlius Vopiscus which date from between the end of the 2nd Century BC and the beginning of the 1st Century BC. The ruins visible today lay beneath the residence; the first internal room was equipped as a vivarium and the large central area is said to have been used as a pool for fish farming with water being brought in via an aqueduct.

The area of Villa Gregoriana also comprises what in the ancient world was notably a sacred place of worship as can be evidenced by the Tempio di Vesta, known also as ‘il tempio rotondo’ (the round temple) and the Tempio della Sibilla, known also as ‘il tempio rettangolare’ (the rectangular temple) on the Acropolis Hill visible from across the valley as soon as one enters the villa. The latter temple, besides being a historical site, is also put to use nowadays since occasionally it hosts theatrical productions.

Villa d’Este

Originally a Benedictine convent, this striking villa was developed into a private residence by Cardinal Ippolito d’Este, son of Lucrezia Borgia and Alfonse d’Este, Duke of Ferrara, to surpass the beauty of the contemporary Palazzo di Caprarola, residence of his rival, the cardinal Alessandro Farnese. Thus in 1560, the cardinal commissioned the Neapolitan architect Pirro Ligorio to design the villa, garden and fountains.

The Villa d’Este is an absolute must-see. The villa itself is made up of a number of rooms each decorated with intricate frescoes and almost each having a window overlooking the garden and fountains. Each room had a purpose which is accurately described on an information sign.

The rooms of the villa are remarkable beauties but what the Villa d’Este is really renowned for are the numerous fountains that adorn the gardens. I was lucky enough to visit the villa twice – both on days filled with beautiful sunshine, making the water of the fountains seem like white light jumping on the fountain bed and rewarding us spectators with a rainbow here and there. It is in places like these that one can observe how something as simple as water, worked by man, can be transformed into a spectacle like no other.

Fountain of Tivoli

This fountain is also known as ‘dell’Ovato’ and is considered by many as being Villa d’Este’s most spectacular fountain. Although my personal favourite is the Rometta, mainly because each nook and cranny of it tells a story, the Fountain of Tivoli is definitely a glorious sight. It was realised between 1566 and 1570 based on a design by Pirro Ligorio. The three massive statues, partially covered by overgrowth, represent the Tiburtine Sybil and the rivers Erculaneo and Aniene.

The Rometta

The Rometta, designed by Pirro Ligorio was realised by fountain-maker Curzio Maccarone. This fountain is perhaps the most symbolic in the entire villa as it ends the figurative journey of the waters of the rivers flowing from the Mount Tiburtino – represented by the Fountain of Tivoli – merging into the Tiber, represented by the intricate bed of the Rometta, aptly placed in the direction of Rome.

The Rometta tells the story starting from left to right, with the artificial mountain and the waterfall from the rocks above, where the statue representing the river Aniene can be found while the Appennino appears in another grotto. Lower down, the course of the Aniene joins that of the Tiber. From here the waters flow more quietly into a basin containing a small craft with an obelisk in the middle which alludes to the Isola Tiberina. Behind this is a series of small structures representing Rome and its main monuments. On the edge of the terrace is the statue of Victorious Rome, and at the front, the mythological She-Wolf Nursing the Twins, a statue commonly found all over Rome, alluding to the myth that Romulus and Remus, said to be the founders of Rome, were suckled by a she-wolf. In the backdrop there are the remains of what used to represent the seven hills of Rome which have been largely damaged following a collapse in the mid-19th Century.

Fountain of the Organ

This is another show of architectural grandeur; its name derives from the hydraulic organ inserted into the fountain, the first to be constructed in modern times and completely automatic. This organ is sounded at particular times during the day. Directly in front of the fountain there are a number of fish ponds which had the function of bringing water from the fountain to the opposite side of the garden.

The Avenue of the

Hundred Fountains

This beautiful pathway connects the Fountain of Tivoli to the Rometta. Water sprouts out of various differently-shaped fountainheads, some of which have unfortunately now been covered by overgrowth and are thus very difficult to see.

Beyond the water

Tivoli is a real gem in Lazio’s crown. It breathes natural beauty, elegance and affluence all at the same time. In a city where clearly water is the word of the day, there is also an interesting cuisine. The two restaurants I visited somehow both served very small portions, making me wonder whether this is typical of the place. However it was a real show of the fact that good things come in small packages because in each case, the food was exquisite. At the first restaurant I tried fresh homemade pasta with a luscious tomato sauce and small meatballs. At the second one I chose lasagne, also made with fresh pasta and filled with sausage, funghi porcini, nuts, béchamel and with pecorino romano sprinkled on top. Both times I also had bruschette drizzled with local olive oil which was to die for.

Having been to Tivoli twice in two weeks and felt equally enchanted each time, I cannot but recommend it to anyone visiting Rome for a period long enough to allow for a day trip or two.