Villa d’Este

You are now entering a world that has disappeared for centuries and you are doing it from the back door. An elegant courtyard greets you with a beautiful fountain decorated with a marble sarcophagus from the Roman era and a statue of a sleeping girl. It is Ariadne, seduced and abandoned by Theseus. Myths follow one other in the 16th-century frescoes and the astonishing fountains of the Villa of Cardinal Ippolito II d’Este. It is easy and amazing to get lost surrounded by so many stories!

In the 17th century it was called “The flower of the gardens in Europe”, and you can easily understand why! Even today Villa d’Este impresses and remains in the heart of those who visit it. An underground canal, a few hundred meters long, supplies water from the Aniene River to 250 jets, 60 springs, 255 waterfalls, 100 basins and 50 fountains! The 35,000-square-meter garden is home to over 100 centuries-old tall trees (including 4 redwood trees from California!), 30,000 plants in seasonal rotation, 15,000 perennial ornamental plants and trees, 9,000 square meters of avenues, paths and ramps, 20 exedras and terraces. Do not miss the tour of the Villa. There is still so much to see!