The picturesque old town of Tivoli, located 24 kilometers from Rome in the province of Lazio, is incredibly attractive for those interested in history and architecture. Tivoli's architectural landmarks in Italy: fabulously beautiful villas with lush gardens and waterfalls. Tourists who come to Rome often prefer to visit Tivoli more "untwisted" sights of the Italian capital. And only true connoisseurs know that this city is worth visiting without fail.
The content of the article
1. Tivoli's story
2. Villa Adriana in Tivoli
3. Villa Gregoriana
4. Villa d'Este
5. Papal Fortress in Tivoli
6. Religious sites
7. How to get to Tivoli
8. Excursions in Tivoli in Russian
9. Mail for Lela
Tivoli History
The ancient city of Tibur (present Tivoli) was founded in the 13th century BC, several centuries before Rome. According to legend, its founders were Catill and Coras - the sons of the Argos king Amphiara, who named the city in honor of their third brother Tiburt. Once Tibur was very powerful, especially during the reign of the Latins - for some time he even successfully competed with Rome.
The city of Tivoli is several centuries older than Rome
Later, the Romans did conquer Tibur, turning it first into a fairly significant transport hub, and then - during the reign of Emperor Augustus - into a favorite resting place for wealthy citizens. In the vicinity of Tibur, magnificent villas were built in which Augustus himself lived, as well as Horace, Patron, Propercius and other famous historical figures.
During WWII architectural park Tivoli in Italy was subjected to numerous bombing raids that destroyed many buildings, some of them were never restored.
- The main attractions of Tivoli:
- Unbelievably beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Villas
- the fortress of Pius,
- ancient cathedrals and churches.
Villa Adriana in Tivoli
Approximately 5 kilometers from the historic center is Villa Adriana, preserved much worse than the rest. Built in the II century, this villa belonged to the emperor Hadrian, often resting here with his retinue.
The country residence occupied a large territory on the banks of the river, on which, in addition to the main palace, there were theaters, temples, a library, baths, as well as numerous ponds and pools surrounded by a picturesque park.
In the II century, the villa belonged to the emperor Hadrian
In the Middle Ages, this villa fell into decay - the locals used it as a source of building materials for their homes. In the XV-XVI centuries, archaeological excavations were carried out on the territory of Villa Adrian, which revealed many sculptures, mosaics, reliefs, which are now stored in museums and private collections.
It was here that the famous Discus Ball was found, as well as Capitoline Antinous and Diana Versailles. At the end of the 19th century, the state took the villa under its wing - the Main Square, the Hall of the Emperor, the Maritime and Greek theaters, the temple complex, and the library were partially restored.
Villa Gregoriana
Villa Gregoriana is a landscape park, known for its man-made grottoes, waterfalls, tunnels and other hydraulic structures. All this splendor was created in the 19th century under the leadership of Pope Gregory XVI, who decided to protect the city from devastating floods by building tunnels that divided the Agnien River into two branches overlooking the outskirts of Tivoli.
Villa Gregoriana is a landscaped park with grottoes, waterfalls and tunnels.
As a result of architectural and construction works carried out according to the project of Clemente Folka, cascading waterfalls, streams, ponds appeared on the territory of the villa, and once a wild gorge turned into a favorite resting place of the Romans. The most popular attractions of this villa are the famous 120-meter waterfall, the grottoes of Neptune and the Sirens, as well as the Miollis Gallery - a tunnel cut into the rocks at the direction of the French general, who was the governor of Rome during the Napoleonic Wars.
Today, for the convenience of visitors, excursion routes have been laid out along the territory of the villa named after Pope Gregory, observation platforms have been equipped. Excursion to the Villa Gregorian in Tivoli considered one of the most interesting in the metropolitan region of Lazio.
Villa d'Este
The third and perhaps the most impressive villa in the Tivoli architecture park is Villa d'Este, located on the site of a former Benedictine monastery. The luxurious palace complex, surrounded by a magnificent landscape park, belonged to Cardinal Ippolito d'Este, who was appointed governor of Tivoli in Italy in 1550.
There are about 500 fountains in the park of Villa d'Este
The construction of the governor's residence was entrusted to the architect Pirro Ligorio and engineer Alberto Galvani, Livio Agresti, Federico Zucarro and Girolamo Muciano were engaged in finishing works. It is curious that some of the building materials used in the construction were removed from the villa of Adrian.
The main building of the villa looks rather concise, but this rigor is fully offset by the luxurious interiors. The greatest impression is not made by the governor's palace, but by an unusually beautiful park with magnificent stairs decorated with ancient statues, picturesque alleys and magnificent fountains. All the fountains, and there are about 500 of them, are completely different - the Ovato fountain is crowned with a statue of Sibyl, the Draghi fountain is dragons, the Biquierone fountain is made in the shape of a shell, and the Organ is in the form of a huge organ that once produced wonderful musical melodies created by water flows, passing through the pipes.
Organ Fountain, at one time, published wonderful musical melodies
It is worth noting that Villa d'Este served as a prototype for the construction of Versailles in Paris. And the Russian emperor Peter I was so impressed with the visit to the villa that after his visit here he planned to build Peterhof.
Papal Fortress in Tivoli
Papal Fortress, also known as Pius Fortress - special Tivoli landmark, located 600 meters from the Communal Square - the central square of the city. The defensive structure was built in 1461 in honor of the transition of the city under papal authority. The construction of the fortress was led by Pope Pius II, followed by the expansion of Sixtus IV and Julius II. From the end of the XIX century until 1960, the fortress was used as a prison. After that, the building was transferred to the city authorities, who organized a large-scale reconstruction.
The fortress of Pius is a powerful structure in the form of a square, the corners of which are strengthened by round towers of various heights. Various exhibitions and other cultural events are often held here.
Religious sites
There are many churches and basilicas in Tivoli that deserve attention. Many of them contain unique works of art - ancient frescoes, icons and sculptures of historical and artistic value.
The fortress of Pius was built in 1461
In the Cathedral, located on Cathedral Square, you can see the works of Vincenzo Manenti, Petro Lucatelli, Guido Reni, in the church of St. Anne - murals of the XV-XVIII centuries, in the church of St. Vincent - murals of the XIV century, depicting Christ the Almighty and St. Symphoros. No less interesting is the Temple of Sibyl and the Temple of Vesta, which are located on the territory of the ancient Tivoli Acropolis.
How to get to Tivoli
Get to Tivoli from Rome You can take a bus or train. Buses to Tivoli leave every 20 minutes from the Ponte Mammolo station, which, in turn, can be reached by metro. Bus tickets are sold at the nearest pizzeria, as well as at newsagents and tobacco shops.
There are usually a lot of passengers traveling in this direction, so taking a good seat on the bus is not easy - you will have to hurry up and, in some cases, work with your elbows. The road takes from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours, depending on the day of the week and time of day - on weekdays, traffic jams that block traffic are not uncommon on the Via Tiburtina highway.
Trains to Tivoli depart from Tiburtino Station
Traveling by train is much more reliable and comfortable - there are no traffic jams on the railway, so the schedule, with rare exceptions, is respected. Trains to Tivoli leave from Tiburtino station (it can be reached by metro from Termini Station).
Excursions in Tivoli in Russian
You can get to Tivoli on an excursion without elbow exercises in public transport. One-day excursions in Russian are made here, and this is perhaps one of the best tours for those who want to get out of Rome somewhere in the outback, see something interesting and at the same time avoid tiring trips. No wonder BlogoItaliano included it in an impromptu TOP 5 of the most interesting excursions in Rome.
To get to Tivoli on an excursion, you should turn to Lele, a guide to Rome, to whom we dedicated a separate article. To do this, you can write a message to her by e-mail email protected or through the feedback form below.
Like the other most popular excursions in Rome, it is better to plan a trip well in advance. Excursions in Tivoli are individual, and therefore in the season many dates can be busy in advance. Nevertheless, even if nothing is left before your trip, we recommend that you still check with Lela the possibility of conducting an excursion. Who knows, maybe you're lucky, and one of the next dates will be free.
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Have a good trip!
Photos by: Avinash Kunnath, Giovanni Mirabelli, Paula Funnell, Tina_Sauwens, Leonardo, Edoardo Leone, Giovanni Mirabelli, eon60.
