Altitude 235 m (770 feet). 50,000 inhabitants
It was
founded around 1215 BC as TIBUR
It was
finally defeated by Rome in 338 BC at Pedum,
corresponding to the current city of Gallicano
In the
Middle Ages it was a free town and bishopric
It was
independent until 1816 when it was annexed the Papal States until 1870
Duomo
(Cathedral of San Lorenzo)
Maybe originally
built during the fifth century on the area of the ancient Roman Forum
Rebuilt during
the eleventh/twelfth centuries
Of this reconstruction
only the Romanesque BELL TOWER remains
Rebuilt
again during the years 1635/1650 for Cardinal Giulio Roma
2nd
RIGHT - CHAPEL OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
"Heavenly
Glory, Saints and Stories of the Birth of Jesus" about 1655 by Giovanni Francesco Grimaldi (1606/80) from Bologna
3rd
RIGHT - CHAPEL OF St. LAWRENCE
Four
paintings "Stories of St. Lawrence": two above by Ludovico Gimignani (1643/97), two below by Pietro Locatelli (about 1637/1710), both pupils of Pietro
Da Cortona
4th
CHAPEL ON THE RIGHT
Wooden
sculpture with "Deposition" 1220/25
APSE AND
NAVE
"Stories
of St. Lawrence" about 1817 by Carlo Labruzzi (1747/1817)
2nd
CHAPEL ON THE LEFT
“Triptych
of the Saviour with St. John the Evangelist and the Virgin Mary” about XII
sec., silver lining embossed with "Annunciation, saints and
evangelists" maybe by the Benedictine monks of
Farfa
Frescoes
"Stories of Christ" 1650/52 by Vincenzo
Manenti (1600/74)
1st
LEFT - CHAPEL OF THE HOLY PERSIAN MARTYRS
Altar piece
and frescoes "Stories of the Holy Persian martyrs" by Bartolomeo Colombo
SACRISTY
Vault
"Glory of St. Lawrence" by Giovanni Francesco
Grimaldi (1606/80) from Bologna
S. Pietro della
Carità
St. Peter of Charity
Built,
according to tradition, at the end of the fifth century for the pope from
Tivoli Simplicio (468/483) above a Roman villa, maybe originally owned by
Quintus Cecilius Pius Metellus
Rebuilt during
the twelfth century and restored and brought back to medieval forms in 1950
following the American bombing during the Second World War
S.
Maria Maggiore
St.
Mary Major
Built,
according to tradition, at the end of the fifth century for the pope from
Tivoli Simplicio (468/483)
Rebuilt
during the twelfth century
BELL TOWER
1590
Fragments
of Cosmatesque floor
On the
right "Wooden Crucifix" of the fifteenth century maybe by Baccio da Montelupo (1469/about 1523)
On the MAIN
ALTAR "Our Lady of the Graces" maybe by Jacopo
Torriti (active 1270/1300)
S.
Silvestro
St.
Sylvester
It was
built in the twelfth century, originally with three naves, reduced to one in the
seventeenth century
Opposite
the church FOUNTAIN OF PIAZZA S. SILVESTRO, built in the sixteenth century by
the same workers who were working during that same period in Villa d'Este
TRIUMPHAL
ARCH AND APSE
Frescoes
"Legend of Emperor Constantine and St. Sylvester" second half of the
twelfth century
Rocca Pia
Pius Fortress
1462 for pope Pius II Piccolomini (1458/64)
It was built with materials taken from the nearby Roman amphitheater
Hadrian’s
Villa
The exact
extension of the villa is not known but it was huge for sure, at least 120
hectares (300 acres), about twice as much as Pompeii, which had an extension of
63 hectares (156 acres) within the walls
The area is
currently open to the public for about 40 hectares (100 acres)
It was built
in three successive phases from 118 to 137 AD for the emperor Hadrian (117/138)
above a pre-existing republican villa of the second century BC
Most of the
buildings were completed in 125 (first phase 118/125) when Hadrian came back
from his first trip to Greece and in the East
The part of
the villa built at the time of Hadrian is almost all in mixed work (opus mixtum), one of the last examples
of this type of construction that would not be used again during the Antonine
period
THREE
LEVELS:
1) Noble level
for the emperor and his court
2) Lower
floor for servants such as the 100 camerelle
(small rooms)
3) Further
lower floor with a system of underground tunnels for cars or pedestrians
The project
is attributed to Hadrian himself who maybe was
an architect and had as model the Ptolemaic Palace of Alexandria that occupied
a third of the city and that was the model also for the Domus Aurea
Hadrian
perhaps wanted to imitate other places here, especially Greek, according to a
common practice at the time for at least 200 years: the Lyceum, the Academy,
the Prytaneion, the Pecile in Athens, the Canopus in the Nile delta, the Valley
of Tempe in Thessaly
The
hypothesis that he would have reproduced the buildings which had struck him in
his many travels in the provinces of the empire does not stand up, having made his
trips after the construction of most of the villa
One source
for this hypothesis is the book "Vita Hadriani" (Life of Hadrian) by
Elius Spartianus from the "Historia Augusta" which, having been
written at least 200 years after the age of Hadrian, is not very reliable
Hadrian’s
travels were the clearest expression of the new conception of the empire after
the conquests of his predecessor Trajan had brought the boundaries to the
maximum expansion
Hadrian was
born in Italica (7 km - 4.3 miles - from Seville) as Trajan, and was his secretary
Unlike
Trajan, Hadrian was never officially adopted through an introduction in the
Senate. His rise to power was the consequence of an alleged appointment made by
Trajan dying
In reality
it is very likely that this was a hoax organized by Plotina, wife of Trajan, who
would have deftly orchestrated the operation, the so-called "conspiracy of
women" including Vibia Sabina wife of Hadrian and daughter of Matidia, who
was the sister of Trajan and who was deified by Hadrian after her death
He
abandoned immediately the new provinces of Arabia and Mesopotamia conquered by
Trajan and organized all the other provinces of the empire. He decided to visit
the provinces in person in order to adapt the structures of the empire to the
new needs
Steeped in
the Greek culture, Hadrian was able to blend Hellenistic sophistication with
the practical governing capacity of the Romans, and of this singular fusion we
find the plastic expression in this villa
After his
death the villa continued to be part of the assets of the imperial house
Over the
centuries it suffered a slow decline and it was stripped of its marbles, used
in many buildings and medieval churches
The
majority of the names of the villa’s locations belongs to the imagination of
Pirro Ligorio (about 1513/83) who began excavations in the villa in 1549 for
Ippolito d'Este
In the
early 1700s much of the villa was acquired by the Conte family who began a
campaign of excavations and adorned it with cypress trees and vines
After the
unification of Italy the villa became public
Excellent
restoration work was carried out in the 1950s and also the 1970s with the
relocation of the dome in the Great Baths
At least
500 sculptures were found in the villa
Among the CENTURIES-OLD
TREES:
Big cypress close to the Nymphaeum with the Temple of
Venus (diameter 4.30 m - 14 feet) in whose trunk a hackberry grew
Nearby there
is a unique taxus baccata shaped as
an umbrella
Near the Canopus there is a beautiful olive tree of more than 5 m (16.5 feet) in diameter
Pecìle
18
Large
rectangular area bounded by a wall 9 m (30 feet) high and about 90 (300 feet) long,
through which there are the current entrances to the villa
The
retaining wall was surrounded by a portico that curved around the ends of the
wall itself: it was the Porticus Miliaria
used for shaded walks with easily measurable distances
It was
originally surrounded by a peristyle, inspired by the Pecile, the famous
painted portico in Athens, around a large body of water, used as a fishpond
The place, according
to tradition, was used for walks in the afternoon
The lower
west side with concave shape opens to the panorama of the Roman countryside
One
Hundred Small Rooms
32
In order to
support the wide esplanade of the Pecile, it was necessary to construct a
building of about 15 m (49 feet) in height, divided into many rooms spread over
four floors plus a portico on the top floor
They were
probably small rooms for the servants
Antinoèion
New
excavations between the one hundred rooms and the so-called vestibule have revealed
a road strangely shaped as an oval circus of unknown use, in front of three
temples with a base for a statue in the center
They are
probably the Temple of Antinous with, at the sides, the Temples of Isis and
Osiris
Some
scholars believe it is the tomb of Antinous although the inscriptions on the Pinciano Obelisk found in the Palazzo
Sessoriano say it was placed on the tomb of Antinous and the tomb of Antinous
was in the garden of the emperor in Rome
So maybe
not here but in the gardens of Adonis on Palatine Hill from which also come the
round panels of the Arch of Constantine
In Hadrian's
Villa were found at least ten statues of Antinous; it is believed that at least
2,000 statues must have existed in ancient times of which there are currently
115 extanting
"Heliocaminus
Baths" or Sudatio
17
Maybe it
was a hall for sunbathing described by the sources. The sun would have come
through the windows on the walls that are now gone. Most probably it was a sudatio (or laconicum), a room for sauna heated also with stoves
"Hall
of the Philosophers" or Library
15
Hall with
an apse, whose name derives from the seven niches in the back wall, where it
was assumed, probably mistakenly considering the small depth, there would be
statues of the seven sages
It was
actually almost certainly a library and the seven niches would have contained
wooden cabinets
"Maritime
Theatre"
14
The name
was arbitrarily coined by Pirro Ligorio
It is
perhaps the one building that best reveals the complex personality of Hadrian
Small
island with curved vestibule, divided into small rooms with very varied design,
completely surrounded by an annular channel. It is framed by a round portico
supported by forty columns with architraves bearing traces of friezes with Mermen
and Nereids
Access was
originally allowed through two drawbridges made of wood operable only from the
inside, so to guarantee privacy for the emperor
There was a
small spa area and a library
Hadrian
could have enjoyed a great linear perspective with water games completed by a
fountain
The model
of this building is the Palace of Syracuse by Dionysius the Elder of the fifth
century BC, where, as Plato wrote, there was an island
Courtyard
of the “Libraries”
13
One of the
three great peristyles of the so-called Palace is surrounded by a portico with
Corinthian columns
It owes its
name to the adjacent buildings, traditionally called "LATIN LIBRARY" 9
and "GREEK LIBRARY" 7
Two twin buildings,
vertical as tower, thought to be summer triclinia
(dining rooms) by some scholars, in place of the traditional misidentification
as libraries
Next is the
LOWER TERRACE OF THE “LIBRARIES” 5
"Hospitalia"
or Barracks for the Praetorians
12
On the
north side of the peristyle there is a long building, originally two-story high,
divided into ten rooms connected by a wide corridor, completed by a spacious
lounge which was maybe a place for worship
There were
two latrines at the corners
Each room
had three rectangular alcoves and mosaic floors with black and white tiles
Near the barracks
there is the MAIN ENTRANCE TO THE VILLA with narrow and small doors to
facilitate checks
Imperial
Triclinium
10
Black and
white mosaic floors with geometric and floral motifs, some of the best
preserved in the whole villa
Maybe it
was just destined to middle-ranking staff of the Emperor, perhaps the officers
of the court pretoria
Terrace
and Pavilion of Tempe
Large
terrace 4, extending beyond the "Hospitalia" on the charming
little valley 11 of the Acqua Ferrata stream, to which Adriano wanted to give
the name of a valley of the Greek region of Thessaly, famous in mythology and
classical poetry
Unfortunately
it was ruined by awful modern constructions that have not spared even this
territory
Imperial
Palace
19
Core of the
imperial residence built over a preexisting republican villa of the second
century BC. Some rooms and single walls of the villa were kept in the new
palace
PERISTYLE OF
THE PALACE 20
In the
majestic halls at the heart of the palace Hadrian exercised his imperial
authority
It is the
second of the three large colonnaded courtyards of the villa
It is
overlooked by a large room with a basilica plan divided in three naves. In the floor
five panels decorated with polychrome mosaic were inserted, now no longer here
To the east
are the PALACE GARDENS 21
HALL OF THE
DORIC PILASTERS 23
It was maybe
the great peristyle that preceded the ROYAL HALL WITH APSE for the emperor
It stands
out for his severe linearity in the pletora of curved lines that characterizes
the villa of Hadrian
Hadrian
however did not fail to leave his mark in the innovative barrel vault of the peristyle
and in the extension of the pillars, which acquire a completely different
character than the traditional Doric order with an antiquarian connotation and
a retrospective taste. It was a sign of appreciation for the archaic world and the
Attic style
Probably
the hall was originally open as the walls are too thin to support a covered
vault
It was
originally paved with marble
Golden
Square
25
Large open
space of almost square shape made with high quality materials and architectural
solutions celebrated by scholars and architects, including Francesco Borromini
(1599/67) who visited and drew these mixtilinear structures that no doubt inspired
him with their play of alternation between concave and convex surfaces
VESTIBULE
Topped with
a dome made of spherical segments supported by eight columns
At the
center there were large fountains
In one of
the adjacent rooms some of the most beautiful mosaics of the villa were kept
PERISTYLE
Bordered by
a double portico with sixty granite and cipollino
marble columns, overlooked by the magnificent imperial hall
Here were
found portraits of Sabina, Marcus Aurelius and Caracalla now at the National Museum of Palazzo Massimo
Probably
this area of the villa was a large imperial triclinium dedicated to banquets
On either
side of the central hall, that maybe was roofless, there are areas covered by
barrel vaults: probably the main room was a coenatio
(dining room)
Towards the
valley at a lower level there are remains of an arena for gladiators 26
and further on maybe a stadium 27
Firemen's
Barracks
22
Multi-story
building around a central courtyard, called Firemen’s Barracks because it is similar
to the one found in Ostia
It is
definitely a service structure maybe for firefighters or for servants, possibly
used as kitchen or warehouse, but more likely it was the barracks for the
Praetorians
Building
with Fish Pool
29
On three
levels: intermediate level of service (lower) and upper and lower floors with suspensurae (small pillars raising the
floor so that hot steam could be channeled under the floor in order the warm up
the room) that prompted some scholars to define the building as "Winter
Palace"
At the
center large vivarium (pool) for fish
It was maybe
the actual area where Hadrian would have lived
Nymphaeum
(So-called Stadium)
30
Structure
near the Pecìlea once thought to be a stadium
Excavations
of 1958 made it possible to identify it as a nymphaeum (monumental fountain), with a semi-circular pool and
fountains with rich water games
To the east
of the house a portico with fishpond overlooks, while to the west, there is a
building divided in two sections
Here was
found the beautiful "Niobide
Chiaramonti" now in the Gregorian-Profane Museum in the Vatican
Small
Baths
34
Maybe for
women, with an octagonal room, a tepidarium
(room for medium temperature baths), and a room with an elliptical shape with
two basins in the apses
The pool
was lined with marble staircases
It was one
of the most opulent buildings of the villa. Maybe it was connected to the
palace
Large
Baths
38
Maybe for
men, with the typical succession of rooms in Roman thermal baths, that here are
visible backwards: the frigidarium,
the room intended for cold baths, a huge hall with an apse and a circular room
In other
rooms the pipes are still visible, passing under the floors, for the
circulation of the steam generated by boilers, the praefurnia
“Vestibule”
37
It is in
fact not a vestibule, but maybe rooms and gardens of passage between Pecile and
Canopus with large lararium (area
dedicated to the worship of the gods of the family) of Hadrian’s family
Here there
was maybe a secondary entrance
Building
with three Exedra
31
Two wings:
one with open spaces and the other with heated rooms and precious marbles
Maybe it
was a sumptuous vestibule to the building with fish pool, which was probably
the private residence of Hadrian
“Praetorian
Pavilion”
39
The
identification as accommodation for the Praetorian guards is definitely wrong
It was maybe
functioning as accommodation for servants or even used as a warehouse
Canopus
43
Located in
a small valley, it is inspired by the Egyptian Canopus, the waterway that
connected Alexandria to the ancient city of Canopus, about 20 km (12.4 miles)
away, where Antinous, the handsome emperor's favorite, had drowned
At the
center of the channel, under water, there are two bases for two sculptural groups
of Scilla
At the far
end of the channel there is a large semicircular nymphaeum known as SERAPEUM,
covered by a half dome divided into segments and covered with white mosaic. It
mimics the shape of the Serapeum
in Rome at the Campus Martius
The walls
are punctuated by niches for statues. Water would have flown down the steps and
would have been collected in an external basin
It was a large
dining room (triclinium) known as stibàdion (semicircular triclinia) maybe
built in honor of Antinous
Excavations
of the Canopus in the 1950s have unearthed sculptures and statues, now on
display in large part in the Vatican
Museums and in the Capitoline
Museums
Of those
presented in the MUSEUM OF THE CANOPUS 40, faithful casts were placed around
the channel that allow to picture the original decoration:
"Four
Maidens Caryatids" copy of the Korai
by Callimacus, pupil of Phidias (Korai = women from Caria in Turkey, prisoners
of the Athenians) from the Erechtheum in Athens
"Two
Sileni Canephori", carrying baskets on their heads
"Personifications
of the Nile and Tiber Rivers"
"Young
Warrior with Helmet"
"Ares"
"Hermes"
Two
"Amazons Wounded" from the original by Phidias (about 490/430 BC) and
Polykleitos of Argos (about 490/425 BC)
"Crocodile"
of cipollino marble
Summer
Residence
From the Museum
of the Canopus a steep path leads to this peripheral part of the villa, located
in a splendid panoramic position, at the center of a historic olive grove
Perhaps the
difference in exposure between the second group and this group of buildings
overlooking the Risicoli Valley allowed the emperor to live in the palace
overlooking Tivoli during the winter and in the Little Palace with views
towards the Roman countryside during the summer
Tower
of Roccabruna
41
The square
base remains visible. In the main façade there are two large semicircular
niches
Inside
there is a large octagonal hall, covered by a dome
Academy
or Little Palace
45
Much of
this monument is still to be excavated
Around a
peristyle there are several buildings, including a hexagonal pavilion and the TEMPLE
OF APOLLO, fine round room with two floors, covered by a dome, now lost
Here were
found the "Two Centaurs" in
gray marble now at the Capitoline Museums
Further
north is the ODEON 47
Circular
temple of Venus Cnidia
3
Exiting the
archaeological site, along an avenue of cypresses that starts from the Pecile,
it is possible to reach a clearing in the trees, at the center of which this
temple was rebuilt in 1958, using original architectural fragments, an exact
copy of the Temple of the Venus of Cnidus
At the
center is the cast of a Roman copy of the Venus of Cnidus from the original by
Praxiteles (about 395/326 BC), kept in the Museum of the Canopus
On the
right of the temple, at the bottom of a lane, are the remains of the SO-CALLED
GYM 2
that recent excavations have established to be probably a big sanctuary of Isis
Further on
LITTLE GREEK THEATRE 1 with part of the stands and of the
stage
It is one
of the few places in the whole villa that might actually correspond to the name
given in 1500s, having a circular orchestra according to the model for the Greek
theaters described by Vitruvius
Villa D'Este
1550/72 Pirro Ligorio (about
1513/83) for Cardinal Ippolito II d'Este (Ferrara 1509 / Tivoli 1572), son of
Alfonso I d'Este and Lucrezia Borgia
Julius III
del Monte (1550/55) wanted to thank the cardinal by appointing him governor for
life of Tivoli for his contribution made to the papal election
The
governor's residence was originally an old and uncomfortable Benedictine
convent run by Franciscan friars and Ippolito II decided to transform it
Pirro
Ligorio took advantage of a huge number of artists and craftsmen
The construction,
however, followed the vicissitudes of the cardinal who was dismissed by Paul IV
Carafa (1555/59), then restored in the post by Pius IV Medici (1559/65) in
1560, then affected by the bad relations of Pius V Ghislieri (1566/72) with the
French, who had always been the cardinal’s best allies
More land
was acquired from two churches of different orders with operations that lasted
until 1566. The Aniene River was conveyed with new tunnels coming from the falls
Materials
from the Tomb of Cecilia Metella were
used
The cardinal
had just enough time to enjoy the opening of the villa in September 1572 with
the visit of Pope Gregory XIII Boncompagni (1572/85), and then, two months
later, he died
Subsequent
owners of the villa after Ippolito II d'Este were two other d'Este cardinals:
Luigi d'Este until 1586 and Alessandro d'Este until 1624, who mantained it and
renewed it
Ercole III
d'Este left it to her daughter Maria Beatrice wife of Archduke Ferdinand of
Austria, through whom passed to the Habsburgs family
It was eventually
left to wither away with the scattering of the antique collections, until
mid-1800, when one member of the Hohenlohe family fell in love with it,
restored it and put back in the center of mundane activities
One of the
attendees was Franz Liszt who found in the villa inspiration for some of his
musical compositions
In 1918 it
passed to the Italian state, it was restored and opened it to the public
Other
restorations were made after World War II to repair bomb damage
The decorations
were made by a large group of artists led by Livio
Agresti (about 1508/79) from Forlì
COURTYARD
"Fountain
of Sleeping Venus"
APPARTAMENTO
NOBILE - Ten rooms:
CENTRAL
HALL
Ceiling
"Feast of the gods with portraits of Apollo, Bacchus, Diana and
Ceres" started by Girolamo Muziano (1532/92)
and completed by Federico Zuccari (about
1542/1609)
ROOM II
Frescoes
"Stories of Catillus legendary founder of Tivoli" by Livio Agresti
ROOM III
Ceiling
"Quadriga of Phoebus" by Livio Agresti
Frescoes
"Legendary stories of Tivoli: story of King Anius and his daughter
Inone" (she was transformed into the Sibyl Albunea) by Antonio Tempesta (about 1555/1630) and schools of Zuccari, Livio Agresti and Girolamo Muziano.
The same artists also painted the frescoes "Stories of Noah and
Moses" in the ROOMS IV, V and VI
ROOM VII
"Council
of the Gods" and "Labors of Hercules" by artists of the school of Girolamo Muziano
ROOM VIII (Room
of the Philosophers)
Paintings
with "Allegories of Virtues, Sciences and Arts"
"Busts
of ancient philosophers"
OLD
APARTMENT (Downstairs) - Ten rooms:
CENTRAL
HALL
"Holy
Family and portrait of Cardinal Alessandro Farnese" maybe by Pietro
Bonaccorsi aka Perin del Vaga (1501/47)
ROOM II
(formerly library)
Copy of
Raphael’s painting "Fornarina" by Sebastiano Luciani aka Sebastiano del Piombo (1485/1547)
Copy of the
"Holy Family" by Daniele da Volterra (1509/66)
ROOM III
(formerly bedroom)
"Madonna
and Child with St. John the Baptist" maybe by Antonio
Allegri aka Correggio (1489/1534)
"St.
Andrew" by Daniele da Volterra
ROOM IV
"Christ
Carrying the Cross" by Girolamo Muziano
ROOM V
Two copies from
originals by Barocci
CHAPEL
"Madonna
of Reggio" by Livio Agresti
ROOM IX
"Landscape"
by Paul Brill (1554/1626)
GARDEN
and FOUNTAINS
A central
longitudinal axis and five main transverse axises
Pirro Ligorio
exploited the old city walls as buttresses for the embankment, and calculated
exactly how much water was needed to run all the fountains
He built a
piping system and a long tunnel about 600 m (2,000 feet) long, under the city,
which brought water from the Aniene River to a basin: the water flow rate was as
much as 300 liters (80 gallons) per second
All the
fountains were therefore fed without any mechanical device, but only by exploiting
the natural pressure and the principle of communicating vessels
35,000 m²
(8.6 acres) of gardens in total, 250 jets, 60 pools of water, 255 waterfalls,
100 tanks, 50 fountains, 20 exedras and terraces, 30,000 plants in seasonal
rotation, 150 centuries-old tall trees, 15,000 ornamental plants and perennials
trees, 9,000 m² (2.3 acres) of paths, walkways and ramps
VIALONE
Large
pathway parallel to the façade of the building for about 200 m (660 feet), with
the Grand Loggia on one side and the Europa Fountain on the other
GRAND LOGGIA
1568/69, at
the end of the Vialone on the left,
although it was never fully completed
It is also
known as Cenacolo (dining room)
because it was often used as a location for outdoor meals
The view
from here is extraordinary
CAVE OF DIANA
Coming out
of the villa, to the left of a path
Mosaics of
stone, stucco, bas-reliefs and enamel decorations of Lola
and Paolo Calandrino and Curzio Maccarone
Few traces
remain of the colorful majolica floor
On the
walls stucco reliefs of branches of quince and fruit baskets as well as high
reliefs with Neptune, Minerva, Caryatids, Muses with eyes made out of precious
stones and five mythological scenes:
1)
Transformation of Daphne, who in order to escape from Apollo, was turned into
laurel
2)
Andromeda freed by Perseus, having been chained as an offering to a sea monster
in order to appease the wrath of Poseidon
3)
Metamorphosis of the hunter Actaeon into a stag, made by Artemis, to punish him
for daring to spy on her naked
4)
Transformation of Syrinx into hollow water reeds, in order to escape the love
of god Pan
5) Callisto
is transformed into a bear, for the jealousy of Hera against Zeus
BICCHIERONE FOUNTAIN
1661 Gian Lorenzo
Bernini (1598/1680) for Cardinal Rinaldo d'Este (1598/1680)
Also called
"Fountain of the Lily", placed under the Loggia of Pandora, on the
main axis of the garden
EUROPA FOUNTAIN
On the
Vialone, opposite the Grand Loggia, with the shape of a triumphal arch
There was
the sculpture, now in Villa Albani Torlonia
in Rome, of Europa abducted by the white bull and a marble basin
PEGASUS FOUNTAIN
Circular
pool with rock on which there is the winged horse Pegasus, born of the
beheading of Medusa: when on Mount Helicon, banging his hoof, gushed out the
source of Hippocrene, sacred to the muses
In the
background, the Romanesque church of St. Peter of Charity, towards which one of
the gates of Villa d'Este open
HUNDRED FOUNTAINS
Pirro
Ligorio (about
1513/83). On an avenue 100 m (330 feet) long that connects the Ovato Fountain with
the Rometta
One hundred
jets in two overlapping rows of masks with anthropomorphic forms adorned with
symbols dear to the Cardinal:
Obelisks, small
ships, lilies of France and eagles (added in 1685 by Francesco II of Modena)
symbols of the Este family, the boat of St. Peter as a symbol of papal power
Here was
filmed the banquet scene of the movie Ben Hur
OVATO FOUNTAIN
1567 Pirro Ligorio. To the left of the Avenue of the
Hundred Fountains, also known as the Fountain
of Tivoli
In this
fountain the water coming from the Aniene River is collected and distributed to
other fountains
Rocks and
boulders placed by Curzio Maccarone to create a
scene representing the Tiburtini Mountains where the three rivers are generated:
At the
center is the Sybil Albunea or Tiburtina, by Giglio
della Vellita symbolizing the ALBUNEO RIVER
In the flanking
niches there are two statues by Giovanni Malanca representing
the RIVERS ANIENE and ERCULANEO
On top of
the rock the Pegasus Fountain is visible, which seems to fit into the Ovato Fountain
In the
pillars of the semicircular nymphaeum TEN FOUNTAINS executed by G.B. Della Porta (1542/1602) and designed by Pirro Ligorio
On the
right side of the square FOUNTAIN OF BACCHUS
In two rooms
facing the square of the fountain there is the LABORATORIO MUSEO DIDATTICO DEL
LIBRO ANTICO (Laboratory and Educational Museum of Ancient Books) venue for
international seminars, conferences and educational activities, dealing with
the study, restoration, conservation and technical and scientific reconstruction
of ancient paper documents from papyrus documents through printed ones
FOUNTAIN OF THE DRAGONS
At the
center of the garden. Also known as the Fontana
della Girandola (Fountain of the Catherine Wheel) for the hydraulic
mechanisms devised by Tommaso da Siena
reproducing gunshots and blasts
It was made,
according to legend, in one night, in 1572 by Pirro
Ligorio, as a tribute to Gregory XIII Boncompagni, guest at the villa,
whose emblem had winged dragons
It is more
likely that the forthcoming pope's visit convinced Luigi D'Este to erect the
fountain
Four
dragons arranged in a circle, with their backs turned to each other
Niche
within which there is a large “Statue of Hercules” representing his eleventh labor:
for the golden apples of the Garden of the Hesperides he killed the dragon
Ladon with hundred heads
LA ROMETTA
Designed in
1570 by Pirro Ligorio and maybe even by Ippolito II himself, executed by the fountains expert
and plumber Luigi Maccarone
The Rometta
Belvedere open towards the Roman plain
Large basin
with a central representation of Rome sitting on a throne. It was partially
demolished during the nineteenth century
PERSEPHONE FOUNTAIN
Conceived
as outdoor dining area
It was
designed as "Fountain of the Emperors", but the emperor statues were
never carved, and during the seventeenth century was installed the stucco sculptural
group of Pluto kidnapping Persephone (Proserpina
in Italian), as two Sileni play sea harps and two dolphins shake the water
The statues
of Persephone and of the dolphins are now lost
FOUNTAIN OF THE OWL
1596 Raffaello Sangallo, designed by Giovanni Del Duca
So called
for the mechanism with metal birds that appeared on bronze branches in the
niche of the fountain, emitting chirps
Another
mechanism made an owl appear, frightening the other birds with its howl and keeping
them quiet. The mechanism has been ruined over time, and only after a recent
restoration one has been remade recreated partly like the original
Other parts
have been lost: the nymphaeum mosaics, reliefs and statues
FOUNTAIN OF THE ORGAN
It was
built during the years 1568/1611
It owes its
name to the mechanism that used to emit organ sounds
It is
another proto-Baroque tall building by Pirro Ligorio,
with a façade including floral and marine decorations and four colossal
telamons by Pirrin del Gagliardo
Statues of
Apollo and Diana in the side niches
Aedicula by
Gian Lorenzo Bernini to protect the hydraulic
organ
Contraption
devised by Claudio Vernard
Several
attempts were made to restore the mechanism, and only with the last works the
fountain sounded again
It was
originally decorated with a statue of Diana of Ephesus now in the Fountain of
Abundance. It overlooks the Neptune Fountan
NEPTUNE FOUNTAIN
1927 Attilio Rossi with Emo Salvi who
incorporated a pre-existing nymphaeum by Pirro Ligorio
which included the current "Statue of Neptune"
It is the
most imposing fountain of the villa. It replaced a waterfall designed by
Bernini which was very much damaged
FISHING PONDS
Three large
rectangular basins for breeding valuable freshwater fish, eventually caught by
guests
There were
in fact kiosks to rest and to keep fishing equipment
ARIADNE FOUNTAIN
It is
almost at the center of the parapet of the terrace
It is named
after a statue representing Ariadne sleeping which used to be located in the
central niche
RUSTIC FOUNTAINS or "FOUNTAINS
OF THE GOALS"
Two
fountains in the lower part of the garden in the middle of two flowerbeds
Three large
circular boulders, one on top of each other in descending orde, and covered
with moss
FOUNTAIN OF NATURE
Also known
as Fountain of Abundance, near the
boundary wall and the old entrance
In front of
a background decorated with tiburtino tartar,
a calcareous concretion much used in this lower part of the garden, there is a
copy of "Diana of Ephesus" with many breasts, originally commissioned
to the Flemish artist Gillis Van den Vliete by Ippolito
II to decorate the Organ Fountain
Alessandro
d'Este had it moved in 1611 to its current position, more hidden, as to not
offend the principles of the Counter-Reformation and in its place he had the
hydraulic organ built that gave a new name to the upper fountain
FOUNTAINS OF THE ROTUNDA
or CYPRESS TREES FOUNTAIN
Near the
old entrance
Four low fountains
arranged in a circle in the rotunda of the centuries-old cypress trees, with small
jets, and triple basins made out of travertine
In the
garden there are also:
The
FOUNTAIN OF THE PROPHET, the FOUNTAIN OF THE EAGLES and the remains of an
ANCIENT ROMAN VILLA
Villa Gregoriana
Very steep
valley, formerly known as Valle dell'Inferno (Hell Valley), excavated at
the foot of the ancient acropolis of Tivoli by the Aniene River, in the place
where the river enters the Roman countryside
The overall
height that the Aniene falls down through the valley, today with two falls (originally
there were four), is about 130 m (426 feet)
Since
ancient times, the river, which formed a large loop around the Acropolis and streamed
down towards the limestone plain, would periodically and dramatically flood, continuing
to dig the river bed: Pliny the Younger described one which took place in 105
AD
It is a
public park wanted by Gregory XVI Cappellari (1831/46) in 1832/35 to address
otherwise the flow of the Aniene with two parallel tunnels beneath Mount
Catillo 280 m (919 feet) long, designed by Clemente
Folchi after the disastrous flood of 1826 which had swept the city
Gregorian
Bridge
It was
built across the ancient bed of the river which had been diverted, and now only
the river bed for surplus water
It was a "useful"
gift from the pope to the people of Tivoli. It was destroyed by bombing in 1944
and rebuilt
Roman
Ruins
Burial area
dating back to the imperial period of ancient Rome, ancient Valerius Bridge and
aqueduct that carried water from the Aniene River into the villa of Manlius
Valpiscus, the consul of the year 14 AD
HORSESHOE TERRACE
from which it is possible to see the BIG WATERFALL
Down in the
middle of the park STIPA CHANNEL and NEPTUNE AND SIRENS CAVES with stalactites
Up through
the park on the other side, MIOLLIS GALLERY small tunnel dug by the French General
Miollis in 1809
Above is
the acropolis known as CASTROVETERE with the ROUND TEMPLE (also known as Temple
of Vesta but maybe dedicated to the tenth Sibyl Albunea from Tivoli) of the
late second century BC, and the RECTANGULAR TEMPLE (maybe dedicated to
Tiburnus) mid-second century BC, later transformed into the church of St.
George
Other archaeological sites in Tivoli
Mensa Ponderaria
Office for
checking weights and measures of the food trade. Two niches lined with two
distinct building phases
It was
built for M. Varenus Diphilus, who also commissioned the construction of the AUGUSTEUM
HALL southwest of the Mensa Ponderaria with a trapezoidal apse (4.10 x 5.5 m -
13.4 x 18 feet)
Amphitheater
Discovered
in 1948, excavated since 1957, built with mixed work technique (opus mixtum)
Lucano
Bridge
Five
arches: four are visible, the fifth is buried, the third arch was cut and
restored already in ancient times
Tomb
of the Plautii
10/14 AD
high cylinder covered with travertine blocks reused in the Middle Ages as a watchtower
to protect the bridge
There are various
inscriptions of members of the Plautii family belonging to the Aniensis tribe originally
from Trebula Suffenas (Ciciliano)
Villa
of Cassius
End of the
republic/beginning of the empire
Three
terraces of substructures oriented west
Here were
found in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries important sculptures now in
the Vatican Museums
Villa
known as Brutus’ Villa
Just north
of that of Cassius with base characterized by hanging netting two colors with
geometric designs
Republican
Villa known as Horace’s Villa
About 75/50
BC on three levels
The upper
terrace is occupied by a modern building
The two
lower terraces are oriented differently towards the landscape. At the lower
level there are three rooms: the two at the sides are tanks, the middle one is
a nympheum with a barrel vault
Villa
of Quintilius Varus
Friend of
Virgil and Horace and relative of the Varus who was defeated in Teutoburg in 13
BC
Beneath there
is the CHIESETTA DELLA MADONNA DI QUINTILIOLO (Small Church of Our Lady of
Quintiliolo), consisting of several buildings dating back from the late republican
period to the second century AD
It is the
largest villa in this area, a little less than 6 hectares (15 acres)
Tomb
of the Vestal Virgin Cossinia
Funerary
monument with five steps in travertine and marble altar with dosserets (impost
blocks) dated to the second or third century AD
Temple
of Tosse
First half
of the fourth century AD
The use is
unknown: it is not known if it was a tomb of the Tuscia gens, a nympheaum, a temple of Venus, a temple to the Sun god, or
more likely the atrium of a monumental villa, transformed into a church by the
name of S. Maria di Porta Scura
Temple
of Hercules the Winner
About 90/82
BC, enormous: the square portico on three sides measures about 152 x 119 m (500
x 390 feet)
Suburban
sanctuary built on gigantic substructures of uncertain work technique (opus incertum) with filled-up arches, on
the site of a villa of the republican period belonging to the Cecilii Metelli,
twice the size of the temple which was included in the villa itself
The temple
at the center of the structure was peripteros
sine postico (surrounded by columns except for the rear) of 42 x 25 m (138
x 82 feet)
It was
built on a large podium and it was probably accessed by two staircases at the sides
The temple
faces a large theater of about 70 m (230 feet)
The VIA
TIBURTINA (road from Rome to Tivoli) crosses the temple with an underground tunnel
with a barrel vault and tabernae for trade on both sides
It was the
seat of an oracle based as that of Fortuna
Prenestina on the extraction of the so called sortes
It was eventually
occupied by a convent and then by a paper mill
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