Villa D'Este Tivoli Tour of Rome

As your personal tour guide of Rome and the Roman countryside, I will be delighted to take you on a private guided limousine or minivan tour to Tivoli, Rome, to tour Villa D'Este and its fountains and gardens.

A day tour from Rome to Tivoli to visit Hadrian's Villa outside the town and/or Villa D'Este in the town will give you insight into the lifestyles of the rich and famous of glorious epochs past: Emperor Hadrian, the most powerful man on earth; and Cardinal Ippolito d'Este, the scion of prestigious nobility, who indulged his love of fountains and gardens to create the most splendid Renaissance villa in the Roman countryside.

Tivoli's Villa D'Este will enchant you instantly with its perfect blend of architecture, landscape and water.

If you have already marveled at some of Rome's most celebrated fountains: the Trevi Fountain, Bernini's Four Rivers Fountain in Piazza Navona, Bernini's Triton Fountain in Piazza Barberini and Bernini's "Barcaccia" (little boat) Fountain at the Spanish Steps, this guided day tour to Villa D'Este in Tivoli will joyously cap your Roman fountain experience in the most delightful way.

The 16th century fountains and gardens of Villa D'Este in Tivoli, set along the slopes of the hill beneath the villa building, were celebrated in their own time as an "eighth wonder of the world" for their magnificence.

Villa D'Este's gardens are still luxuriant and create a perfect setting for the countless fountains in highly imaginative forms and ensembles that make this architectural itinerary through a refreshing, "naturally air conditioned" environment one that will lift your spirits on even the hottest day. You will learn about the tremendous effort involved to create the green garden over a limestone terrain and to channel the water through the town to feed the fountains, and the ill will created among the humble people of Tivoli, who had little love for the pope and for the cardinal who represented him in Tivoli.

The day tour to Tivoli from Rome can be a half-day excursion (4 to 5 hours) to visit either Villa D'Este or Hadrian's Villa or a full-day excursion (6 to 8 hours) to visit both villas. To complete your day in the Roman countryside lunch in a typical restaurant or trattoria in or near the town of Tivoli can also be arranged.