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Villa d'Este
Piazza Trento, 5, 00019 Tivoli Rome, Italy Phone: +39 0774 312070 not availableAbout
Villa d'Este, (near the center of the town.), ☎ 199.766.166: from abroad: 0039.0424.600460 (villadestetivoli@telekottageplus.com), [2]. Closed on Mondays. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a truly unique place. Although the villa is itself quite interesting, with some attractive frescoes on the ceilings, the main reason for visiting here is the terraced gardens below it. These were conceived and built between 1550 and 1572 by Cardinal d'Este. The numerous fountains, both large and small, rely on natural water pressure, which takes advantage of the steep slope on which the gardens are built. Water comes mainly from the River Aniene, which was partly diverted through the town. For a long time in the 18th and 19th Centuries the gardens were allowed to fall into a state of decay, but they were taken over by the Italian Government at the beginning of WW1 and have gradually been restored to something close to their original splendor. The gardens were said to have drawn their inspiration from Villa Adriana and, probably, quite a few of the statues used were stolen from there too. In turn, many were stolen from Villa d'Este when it fell into neglect.
