Italy: Villa d’Este – Gardens

Villa d’Este in Tivoli is world-famous for its terraced gardens and the palace. The villa was built in 1550 for Cardinal Ippolito II d’Este, designed by Pirro Ligorio, and is an absolute over-the-top Renaissance masterpiece. The gardens span approximately 4.5 ha and descend from the Villa d’Este palace in a series of terraces, organized around a central axis. They feature fountains, nymphaea, grottoes, and water features, powered by a gravity-based hydraulic system using water from the Aniene River (a masterpiece of engineering). There are 51 major fountains, with most spectacular being Fontana dell’Ovato, Fontana dell’Organo, Avenue of the Hundred Fountains, Fontana della Rometta, Pegasus Fountain, and many more. There are also loads of mythological statues and grottos. These gardens served as an inspiration and the design basis for later gardens in e Versailles in France, Queluz in Portugal, and Peterhof in Russia.