Villa D'Este

Over this past weekend, I made the trip outside the city of Rome to visit Tivoli. I went with the intentions of seeing Hadrian's Villa, a site I previously blogged about. I was only making a day trip with just enough time to visit this villa. I expected Tivoli to be a very small town with not much to do besides visiting Hadrian's Villa.
After a pleasant train ride through the mountains surrounding Rome, I reached Tivoli. I wanted to explore the sight because of the waterfall I had seen on the way. I found out that there was much more than Hadrian's Villa in Tivoli.

The most visited sight in the town is the Villa D'Este. If you are looking for a serene escape from the city, look no further than Tivoli. You will be enchanted by the river flowing lazily by and the sweet smell of the air.

Once you get to the Villa D'Este, you will learn that this old Benedictine convent has unforgettable gardens and fountains. The convent was converted to a palace in the 16th century and the luxury of this lifestyle can still be found in the gardens today. Bernini lovers will be pleasantly surprised to find his Fontana del Bicchierone. The picture above shows the Terrace of 100 Fountains, one of the many fountains in the villa.

Between the train ride through the countryside and suburbs of Rome and the picturesque views of the valley below Tivoli, this day trip will be well worth your time away from Rome and the small admission fee.

The picture above was taken from the following website, http://www.villadestetivoli.info/gall_01_e.htm. At this site you will also be able to find out more information about the Villa. You could also check out the Eyewitness Guide to Rome published by Dorling Kindersley in 2007.