Villa d'Este

Villa d'Este
Photo by Els Slots.

Villa d'Este, Tivoli is a masterpiece of Italian Renaissance architecture and especially garden design.

The ensemble of the palace and gardens was laid out in the second half of the 16th century on the orders of Governor Cardinal d'Este. Its terraced water garden decorated with architectural elements such as monumental fountains had a profound influence on European landscape design.

Community Perspective: The garden provides a nice 1.5-hour stroll up and down the terraced hill, with the fountains as highlights (if they're running). The palace/villa isn’t particularly interesting. Overall it feels like an old-fashioned tourist attraction that could use some TLC.

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Elena Y

Ireland - 06-Mar-23 -

Villa d'Este by Elena Y

Rising up a winding road, you begin to experience the decadence of Tivoli's premier villa before you've even reached it thru a magnificent view shooting straight to the horizon. It seems to yell, "you, Cardinal d'Este, hold dominion over the trees and the houses of the land through God." It also serves to forget that you, the modern public transport user, have arrived not via a direct link from the city centre but from a bus station on the outskirts of the city!

It's almost underwhelming in comparison when you step through the courtyard and into the actual Villa building. It's beautiful, of course, but it feels strangely sparse, a world populated not by objects but by painted doorways and faux-3D marble busts. Through an exhibition you go, the interesting but tenuously linked "Umano Troppo Umano" on depictions of the athletic (mostly nude) body on the day I went, and past all the usual rooms you'd expect from a mid-millennium wealthy religious European, and you finally reach the garden that has been teasing you since you looked through your first window.

On a hot and humid October day, something I'm ill-accustomed to coming from Ireland, I believe I discovered instantly what paradise feels like - fifty fountains, and ten times the spouts. You're immediately welcomed with a drinking fountain at the foot of the staircase, the first of many, which most people (including myself) felt invited to drink from. Ornary drinking fountains are here everywhere as in Rome, but these are works of art in their own minor ways. The more major fountains you don't need me to describe, and I certainly couldn't describe the near-synonymous Fountain of the Organs, which was closed for maintanence during my visit. My favourite of these fixtures has to be the relatively understated statue of Diana to the back of the gardens, even if she has lost one of her hands! I can't speak to the objective OUV of the place, but I likely wouldn't have discovered it had it not been nominated to heritage site status, so for that personal experience alone I'm happy that it's on the list.


Frédéric M

Canada - 22-Apr-21 -

Villa d'Este by Frédéric M

In June 2018, after visiting Villa Adriana and Villa Gregoriana and enjoying pasta on a terrace in the centre of Tivoli, I now had to explore the gardens of Villa D'Este to complete the hat trick. So I walked from the centre of the small town to the Renaissance palace. The frescoed walls and ceilings in the palace are pretty, but don't stand out from the crowd, especially in Italy. It is nevertheless pleasant to walk through the rooms of the building. However, the highlight is the garden. Large trees and well-trimmed hedges overhang and surround hundreds of fountains.

Although the Fontana dell'Organo was not in operation at the time of my visit, I enjoyed admiring the other works of art. After all, that's what these fountains are! The Fontana Di Tivoli (or dell'Ovato), the Fontana di Nettuno and the Viale delle Cento Fontane are the most beautiful in my opinion. They are original, make clever use of water and are full of sculptures and small details. The others, in the four corners of the garden, are not to be overlooked, however, and are well worth a look. The use of vegetation enhances many of these, although the plants could do with more flowers. The Fontana della Rometta, in the southern corner of the garden, also has an interesting layout. The many paths that criss-cross the site offer several fine views, not only of the garden but also of the valley below. On another note, as noted by Els six years earlier, many of the fountains were not working and deserved some love. A thunderstorm arrived as I was finishing my visit and I was able to get to the shelter of the bus before the deluge.

In conclusion, Villa D'Este is a very pleasant visit and contains a huge number of fountains. However the site is rather small. Just over an hour is needed for an in-depth visit. Also, the palace is not particularly remarkable. So, although I enjoyed my visit, I question the OUV of this Villa. I am far from being an expert on the history of the Italian Renaissance, but I got the impression that this garden was more the work of an extravagantly wealthy owner than an ensemble with a strong universal significance.

Nevertheless, it is rather easy to visit the three Tivoli villas and all three are worth a visit. I unintentionally visited the sites in order from my favourite to the one that attracted me the least.


Jay T

USA - 24-Jun-20 -

Villa d'Este by Jay T

There is no doubt that Villa d'Este is a beautiful site, a fine house with gardens sloping down a hillside overlooking the Italian countryside. The town of Tivoli itself, surrounding the villa, is rather spectacularly set in the Sabine Hills east of Rome, overlooking the falls of the Aniene River. It is quite easy to see why this area was favored as a retreat by church and state in Rome -- it feels a world away from the eternal city.

I visited Villa d'Este in November last year. Perhaps autumn is an off season, but I had to adjust my hopes for this site when I arrived at the ticket office and learned that none of the fountains would be running, as they were under repair. For me, this was a bit like my first visit to Versailles, a weekday with no grand fountains on display. Except that the villa is in no way comparable to the richly ornate Palace of Versailles. The fountains are the main draw to the Villa d'Este, and without them, I was left wanting more.

That said, the gardens on a fall day were beautiful to walk through, and I could imagine what the fountains would look like were they operating in their cascades and grottoes. The gardens also weren't terribly crowded in November (perhaps because visitors knew in advance the fountains were not working?), so I never felt crowded wandering the grounds. Still, just like the Palace of Versailles, I know I'll have to return one day to experience the full beauty of this site.

Logistics: The Villa d'Este is an easy walk through town from the Tivoli train station; Tivoli can also be reached from Rome by bus or via private transportation.


Klaus Freisinger

Austria - 10-May-15 -

Tivoli is a relatively short train ride from Rome and has been a popular destination for excursions and a countryside residence for Romans since ancient times. While the Villa Adriana is a few kilometres outside the centre, Villa d'Este is right in the centre. Commissioned by a Renaissance cardinal, it is considered to be the defining masterpiece of Italian landscape architecture and garden design. The garden is indeed very pleasant for a stroll, full of fountains, ponds and other water features, although I visited a bit too early (in early March) to enjoy the full spring bloom. The villa itself, though, was not particularly impressive, and can be skipped if you are short on time. Besides the 2 villas inscribed on the WH list, Tivoli features a third one that is in my opinion the equal of the other 2 - the Villa Gregoriana, famous for its unique combination of a natural landscape and one altered by men since antiquity. I certainly enjoyed my walk down to the valley floor and up again on the other side, always admiring viewpoints, caves, waterfalls, and a number of manmade structures. It has been on Italy's tentative list for a long time, but I doubt that UNESCO would inscribe a third separate site in such a small town - an extension of Villa d'Este would be justified, though.


Clyde

Malta - 20-Mar-14 -

Villa d'Este by Clyde

I visited this WHS in March 2014. I went there early to beat the crowds and I enjoyed the Fontana deli Organi at 10.30am. The villa interior reminded me of Ferrara's Castello Estense. The highlights of the Renaissance gardens are the Rometta, Neptune's Fountain and the Cento Fontane. Although I enjoyed my visit, the Villa gardens weren't very well kept for a WHS especially when it costs 8 euros to visit!


Els Slots

The Netherlands - 04-Sep-12 -

Villa d'Este by Els Slots

The Villa d'Este lies in the center of Tivoli. Due to its proximity to Rome I guess, it attracts more than half a million visitors a year. It's a bit of an old-fashioned tourist attraction, the main point of interest is its garden with water features. I stayed in a B&B within walking distance, and so was able to get in before 9 a.m. This way I had the whole garden to myself, except for a cat that sought my companionship.

I roamed around for about 1.5 hours. The differences in height make for good exercise, and the site has enough on offer to pleasantly surprise now and then. The most impressive parts I found were the Organ Fountain and the one representing Rome. I did a quick tour through the villa as well. Every room is covered in wall paintings.

After a while, I became aware that parts of the site actually are quite run-down, or need more care than they're getting now. About a third of the fountains were not working (especially the smaller ones). I don't know if this is a case of "the tourists will come anyway, so why bother", or that a severe lack of funds is hindering the upkeep of the site. Surely there could be made more out of it than is now.


John booth

New Zealand - 12-Sep-11 -

Villa d'Este by john booth

This villa clearly receives the larger share of visitors to Tivoli. The gardens seem to be the main attraction of course with their flowing waterfalls and fountains. Few visitors seemed to venture inside the villa though, but I found it worthwhile to see the palatial frescoed home of Cardinal d'Este.

I reached Piazza Garibaldi in Tivoli by bus from outside Ponte Mammolo metro station.


L. Pivato

Canada - 22-Jul-11 -

We finally got there after many, many past trips to Rome and surroundings. We should have gone sooner!! Breathtaking and really an architectural marvel. It just goes to prove that tourists need to get away from the cities and discover sites on "the roads less travelled" like this one. I now recommend a tour of the Castelli Romani and Villa D'Este/Tivoli, in particular, to all my friends who are heading to Rome. It is well worth the effort to get there.


Ben Chester

America -

One of the more breathtaking experiences of my life. The combination of tranquility and chaos that the water features bring about is something everyone should be so lucky to experience.

Villa d'Este will always have a special spot in my memories!


Site Info

Full Name
Villa d'Este, Tivoli
Unesco ID
1025
Country
Italy
Inscribed
2001
Type
Cultural
Criteria
1 2 3 4 6
Categories
Structure - Park or garden Structure - Residence
Link
By ID

Site History

2001 Inscribed

1995 Revision

Temporarily combined into a single TWHS with Villa Gregoriana until just before inscription in 2001, after having been listed alone from 1984

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The site has 1 locations

Villa d'Este

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A. Mehmet Haksever AC AT8 Afshin Iranpour Alberto Rodriguez Gutierrez Alessandro Alessandro Votta Alessio Toniolo Alex Goh Alexander Barabanov Alexander Lehmann Alfons and Riki Verstraeten Altacyr Anders Burholm Andrew Wembridge AniaCh Anja Argo Aspasia Assif Astraftis Atila Ege Baudy-Floc h Bazikoln Bborders Ben Ami Ben Pastore Berteig Bin Bob Parda Brigitte Huber Butterflybird C82wc1 Caligari Carlcam Carlos Sotelo Carolinerowe25 Cezar Grozavu Cgrannem Chalamphol Therakul Chen Taotao ChenMing Chenqtao Cheryl Chris Lee Christer Sundberg Christian Wagner Christoph Christravelblog CinderEli Claire Bradshaw ClaireWhiteley Coppi Craig Harder Ctravel CyBeRr Cyberczar Dagmara Dan Pettigrew Daniela Hohmann David Aaronson & Melanie Stowell David Berlanda David King David Marton Deffra Dgjohansson Diggy Dimitrios Polychronopoulos Djpatten Donald M Parrish Jr Donnico Dorejd Doubanjiang DouglasR Drazsika Eireinion Elaine McArdle Elena Y Elia Vettorato Elida Ellen Nielsen Els Els Slots Emi_mimmi Emilia Enrico Cerrini Errol Neo Eva Kisgyorgy Fan Yibo Feldhase Femke Roos Finsbury_jo Flexiear Fmannucci Frederik Dawson Frédéric M G.L. Ingraham Gaiacanadese@gmail.com Gary Arndt Geert Luiken Geo.Mav George Evangelou George Gdanski GeorgeIng61 GerhardM Gi Gianmarco Gijs Gisella GithaK GiuliaCh Hadrianus Hanming Harry Mitsidis Hasco Hdimoshi Henri Howard Howard Brayer Hubert Iain Jackson Ian Cade Ibonez Ilya Burlak Ivan Rucek Izzet Ege JJ10 Jaakkotoivanen Jakob Frenzel James Bowyer Janina Lehmann Jarek Pokrzywnicki Jasam Jay T Jdewilde Jduffhue Jeankedezeehond Jeanne OGrady Jennifer Prout Jens Jezza Joel on the Road John booth Jon Eshuijs Jonas Hagung Jonas Kremer Jonas Martinsson Jose Antonio Collar Joseph C. Joshuakirbens Joyce van Soest João Aender Jsalda Judith Tanner Junwang111 Juropa Justin KYLE ROUSSEL Karin Heyl Kasienka5 Kbtwhs KeithBailey Kelly Henry Klara Woodson Klaus Freisinger Klmargit Krzysztof B LKERPS LaVale Lara Adler Lichia Lidiane Linda Sereno Lisa Ross Lisap Lisu Marian Loic Pedras Lorenzo2022 Lucio Gorla Ludvan Lynne.Marrs MAURO PODDA MH MHasuly MMM MWaters66 MaYumin Maciej Gowin Mahuhe Malgorzata Kopczynska Marcel staron Marie Morlon Marina Markus Marlies van Wolfswinkel Marta Lempert Martin Lind (Switzerland) Martin Richardson Martina Rúčková Mateusz Maureen Benefield MaxHeAnouBen Melinda Baumann Michael Ayers Michael Mett Michael Novins Michael Turtle Michal Marciniak Michelle.has.murphy Michiel Dekker Mikita M Mikko Mkborys Monica Tasciotti Nan Nasebaer Nathalie Goldberg Nihal Ege NoahFranc Nomad99 NonDuality Olli-Pekka Turunen Orphanos Palimpsesto Paolo ZaK Pascal Cauliez Patphilly Patrik Paul Schofield Peltzi Peter Alleblas Peter Lööv PeterH Petteri Philipp Leu Philipp Peterer Pieter Dijkshoorn Pink Bunny Polyommatus_icarus Potsdamer Pressdm Priyaranjan Mohapatra Q Qqalexqq Ralf Regele Ralf Rotheimer Randi Thomsen Rdroghetti Reiseblitz Reisedachs Reza Riccardo Quaranta Richardleesa Robin Frank Roccobot Roel Sterken Roger Ourset Roman Bruehwiler Roman Koeln Roman Raab Ronbon Rottenegg Royacurt Rswood Rubbie Sabrina Liebehentschel Sam Mason Sandersx2 Schnitzel Sebasfhb Sergio Arjona Shandos Cleaver Simonh SirLoydd Skalec Solivagant Sophie Squiffy Squire Sullen Stacie Yeldell Stanislaw Warwas StaziG SteO153 Stefan A. Michelfeit Stefan and Mia Stefania Giudice Stephanie H Stephen S. Kamin Sun_jianyuan@me.com Super-Sophie Svein Elias Szucs Tamas Tamara Ratz Tammy Gouldstone Tarquinio_Superbo Tcchang0825 Thibault Magnien Thomas Kunz Thomas van der Walt Tino A Offner Tom Flaten Tom Livesey Tommasorossotti Tony Hunt Tony0001 Tourhistrio Travel Addicts Triath Tsunami V&M VLabhard Valentina Van Hung Vanessa Buechler Viaje al Patrimonio Vicente B. Avanzado Jr. Vincent Cheung Vlad Lesnikov WILLIAM RICH Walter Walter H. Waters88 Werner Huber Willem van Altena Wojciech Fedoruk Wolfgang Hlousa WolfgangHl Wouter Wtrentfox Xangadib Xiong Wei Yannick Tatin Zos M Zoë Sheng