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Villa Adriana Review
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Villa Adriana 
- Address: Bivio di Villa Adriana, off Via Tiburtina, 6 km (4 mi) southwest of Tivoli, Tivoli | Map It
- Phone: 0774/382733
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Hadrian's Villa
- Category: Castles/Palaces
- Location: Tivoli
Fodor's Review:
In ancient times, just about anybody who was anybody had a villa in Tivoli, including Crassius, Trajan, Hadrian, Horace, and Catullus. Tivoli fell into obscurity in the medieval era until the Renaissance, when popes and cardinals came back to the town and built villas showy enough to rival those of their extravagant predecessors. Nowadays Tivoli is small but vibrant, with winding streets and views over the surrounding countryside, including the deep Aniene river gorge, which runs right through the center of town, and comes replete with a romantically sited bridge, cascading waterfalls, and two jewels of ancient Roman architecture that crown its cliffs -- the round Temple of Vesta and the ruins of the rectangular Sanctuary of the Sibyl, probably built earlier. These can be picturesquely viewed across the gorge from the park of the Villa Gregoriana park, named for Pope Gregory XVI, who saved Tivoli from chronic river damage by diverting the river through a tunnel, weakening its flow. An unexpected (but not unappreciated) side effect was the creation of the Grande Cascata (Grand Cascade), which shoots a huge jet of water into the valley below. The Villa Gregoriana is at Largo Sant'Angelo (from the Largo Garibaldi bus stop, follow V. Pacifici -- it changes name six times -- and veer left on V. Roma to the Largo). There's a small admission charge to the park, which affords a sweaty, steep hike down to the river, so you may prefer to repair to the Antico Ristorante Sibilla, set right by the Temple of Vesta. From its dining terrace, you can drink in one of the most memorably romantic landscape views in Italy, one especially prized by 19th-century painters.
The astonishingly grand 2nd-century AD Villa Adriana (Hadrian's Villa), 6 km (4 mi) south of Tivoli, was an emperor's theme park, an exclusive retreat below the ancient settlement of Tibur where the marvels of the classical world were reproduced for a ruler's pleasure. Hadrian, who succeeded Trajan as emperor in AD 117, was a man of genius and intellectual curiosity, fascinated by the accomplishments of the Hellenistic world. From AD 125 to 134, architects, laborers, and artists worked on the villa, periodically spurred on by the emperor himself when he returned from another voyage full of ideas for even more daring constructions (he also gets credit for Rome's Pantheon). After his death, the fortunes of his villa declined. It was sacked by barbarians and Romans alike; many of his statues and decorations ended up in the Musei Vaticani, but the expansive ruins are nonetheless compelling.
It's not the single elements but the peaceful and harmonious effect of the whole that makes Hadrian's Villa such a treat. The vast estate is a fascinating succession of baths, theaters, temples, libraries, guest pavilions, nymphaeums, and open-air gymnasiums. The most famous "sight" in the Villa is the Canopus, an artificial valley with a long pool modeled after an Egyptian canal on the Nile, surrounded by colonnades and sculptures. Hadrian did not live long enough to enjoy his creation. He fell ill and retired to Baia near Naples, where he died in AD 138. Oleanders, pines, and cypresses growing among the ruins heighten the visual impact. A visit here should take about two hours, more if you like to savor antiquity slowly. Remember that it can get very hot in summer; try to visit early or in the afternoon. In the summer months, you may be able to view these spectacular ruins by night, where clever lighting effects show them up in all their haunting beauty. Times vary, year by year, so visitors should check up first with the local tourist office (0774/311249). Maps are issued free with the audio guides (EUR 4) at the ticket office. From Tivoli, you can get a bus (going to Rebibbia) which stops at Villa Adriana, departing every two hours between 5.15 AM and 9 PM.
- Cost: EUR 6.50
- Open: Daily 9-1 hr before sunset
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