Water power and grace a tour in Tivoli in Rome hillside

Water power and grace a tour in Tivoli in Rome hillside

A few kilometers from Rome, in the hillside, stands Tivoli, a place who has always tied its fate to the strength and beauty of water from river Aniene, close by.
Severely damaged by its floods throughout the centuries, it hosts however some architectural masterpieces, designed around this powerful, magic element.
This private guided tour will take you int the Park of Villa Gregoriana, built around a majestic artificial waterfall, and Villa D'Este, whose countless ponds and fountains are a delight for vision and soul. Meanwhile, a fresh seafood lunch will be enjoyed in a local fishery.

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Parco Villa Gregoriana, Largo Sant'Angelo, 00019, Tivoli Italy

This site, completely recovered by the Italian Fund for Environment between 2002 and 2005, was involved by massive works of hydraulic engineering between 1826 and 1835. Pope Gregorio XVI decided to alterate the course of river Aniene through two artificial ducts and an impressive waterfall, to protect the settlement of Tivoli from the recurrent, violent floods.
Today, the tour starts from the Gregorian Bridge, originally built upon the pristine course of river Aniene, then descending in the gorge, where some natural caves are visible: Neptune's Cave and the Mermaids' Cave. After reaching the feet of the Great Waterfall, the visitors will find their way back up to the Acropolis and to the Roman temples of Sibilla and Vesta.

Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Villa d'Este, Piazza Trento 5, 00019, Tivoli Italy

Built approximately between 1550 and 1572 under the direction of architect Pirro Ligorio, this villa and its gorgeous garden were initially intended as a retreat for the cardinal Ippolito II, belonging to the Este family from Ferrara and loyal to Pope Giulio III. The mansion was later owned by the Asburgos and, after World War I, by the Italian state.
The impressive design of the garden, for whose realization the river Aniene course was artificially deviated, features countless fountains, ponds and waterfalls; between these, the so-called Fontana del Bicchierone and the water organ "played" by Aniene were designed in the 17th century by Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

Duration: 2 hours