While the likes of Matera and Taormina might draw the largest crowds, you shouldn’t overlook Italy’s lesser-known hill towns, ranging from higgledy-piggledy Calcata to savagely beautiful Pietrapertosa. Whether you’re keen to explore lofty castles or verdant Piedmont vineyards, there’s a clifftop enclave to suit every taste — here are some of the be...
READ MORELazio, my region. A region of many wonders; a compound of sumptuous landscapes, ancient medieval hamlets, superb regional delicacies and ravishing nature. Bordered by the Tirreno waves and traversed by the central portion of the Apennine mountains, the region we’re about to discover will allow you to ride (either by car or by train) through unforge...
READ MOREVilla d'Este is a masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance, included in the UNESCO list of world heritage with its fountains, nymphs, grottoes, plays of water and hydraulic music. The history of the villa is closely related to the history of its first owner, Cardinal Ippolito II d'Este, son of Lucrezia Borgia. Appointed in the sixteenth century Gover...
READ MORE"In the last few days I have been to Tivoli and I have seen one of the first wonders of nature. The waterfalls, the ruins and the overall landscape belong to those objects, the knowledge of which enriches our most inner souls.” It is with these words that the great German writer and intellectual J.W. Goethe described Tivoli in his Italian Journey. ...
READ MOREThe town of Tivoli, just outside of Rome, is a must-do day trip for anyone interested in the history of Rome or looking to escape the crowds! What is Tivoli?Tivoli is a small town in the Lazio region of Italy, home to around 55,000 people, and the area has been inhabited for over 3000 years. Today it's a popular destination for tours and a great d...
READ MOREItaly was ground zero for the Roman world (at least until it split into East and West) and is where many of the most impressive Roman ruins are found today. Italy is full of excellent ancient Roman ruins worth visiting. Some of them are well-known while others are lesser known (like the peculiar Mouth of Truth in Rome). Here are 10 of the best anci...
READ MOREFamous worldwide for its Italian garden, the most beautiful in Europe, for its sound fountains, for its water features and its Renaissance architecture, Villa d’Este in Tivoli is among the symbols of the beauty of the Italian Renaissance. Tivoli, a village on the outskirts of Rome, is home to a wonderful Renaissance villa surrounded by a natural l...
READ MOREJust about 20 miles from the center of Rome, the small mountaintop town of Tivoli overlooks the whole of the Roman basin. From the promenade at Giardini Garibaldi, near the entrance to the center of town, you can take in a view of Rome in its entirety, with the famous St. Peter's Basilica poking out of the horizon like a small cake topper, the Tyrr...
READ MOREVilla d’Este, with its stunning Renaissance garden, is in the small town of Tivoli about 20 miles east of Rome. The 16th century villa’s large terraced garden is famous for its many lavish fountains and water displays powered completely by the use of gravity. Villa d’Este is an amazing site, one that I highly recommend seeing. Enter the villa from ...
READ MOREVilla d'Este, in Tivoli, less than 30 km from Rome, is a true masterpiece of hydraulic engineering and a spectacle of Renaissance architecture. It is defined as a "water dream" for its theatricality that amazes and accompanies visitors during their stay in this oasis of peace a stone's throw from the capital, lulled by the cadenced rhythm of the fo...
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