There is no doubt that spending a stay at a luxury hotel in Rome is one of life’s great pleasures. The historic sights of the ancient city can be enjoyed while making the most of some superb facilities, great food and a chance to take a complete break from the norm. However, there will come times when people will get curious and wonder just what lies beyond the boundaries of the Eternal City. The answer is the historic town of Tivoli. Located just north-east of the Italian capital, the city dates back to the 13th century BC, although it became a centre of significance in Roman times. Located in a beautiful, hilly landscape, the city offers a quintessentially Italian array of architectural treasures.
There is a plethora of Roman buildings in varying states of repair, with perhaps the best-known being Villa Adriana, built by an emperor rather keen on construction projects, Hadrian. The complex is huge, covering a whole square kilometre and featuring all sorts of buildings, among them baths, places, temples, theatres, libraries, living quarters for slaves and guards, and important rooms of state. Even with much of it having crumbled (and been taken away for building elsewhere), the site is hugely impressive. These and other Roman ruins may be fascinating, but they are certainly not the only historic features of Tivoli. The medieval period saw a number of villas constructed in the town. The best example is the Villa d’Este, which was built by Cardinal Ippolito II d’Este, son Lucrezia Borgia and Alfonso d’Este. The building itself is a fine example of the architecture of the period, but its most popular feature is the series of towering fountains in its gardens.
Other places well worth seeing include the Villa Gregoriana, which is a stunning park on the edge of town, featuring a superb waterfall plunging from a side-stream of the Aniene river. Also here are several archaeological sites, two ancient temples and several natural caves.With so much natural beauty and historical wonder, there is no doubt Tivoli is a brilliant place to come on a day trip from Rome.
