Tivoli, Italy

Tivoli, a hill town not very far from Rome, features two villas very distinct in character, which both give a strong sense of faded splendor.

Villa Adriana consists of the ruins of emperor Hadrian's summer residence, which used to be one of the largest and most somptuous villas of the Ancient world. As the emperor was a keen architect and traveler, the villa is a masterpiece that uniquely reproduces the best elements of the material cultures of Egypt, Greece, and Rome in the form of an "ideal city." Study of the monuments that make up the Villa Adriana played a crucial role in the rediscovery of the elements of classical architecture by the architects of the Renaissance and the Baroque period.

Villa d'Este was the pleasure palace of Lucrezia Borgia's son. With its palace and garden, is one of the most remarkable and comprehensive illustrations of Renaissance culture at its most refined. Its innovative design along with the architectural components in the garden (elaborate gravity fed fountains, ornamental basins, etc.) make this a unique example of an Italian 16th-century garden. The Villa d'Este, one of the first giardini delle meraviglie, was an early model for the development of European gardens. In 1885, Lizt stayed in the villa, which inspired the piece `Fountains of the Villa d'Este`. Both of the villas are a UNESCO World Heritage Sites.