Villa d'Este Day Trip - Dolce & Masala

Villa d’Este Day Trip

Villa d’Este (Semi) Day Trip to Tivoli

The weekend after returning from Naples and the Amalfi Coast, I made ambitious (in hindsight) plans to join some friends on a day trip from Rome. They were planning a full day in Tivoli to visit Villa d’Este and Villa Adriana (ruins of Emperor Hadrian’s Villa) – both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In the end, I overslept and didn’t make our appointed train time.

The metro and bus combination to Tivoli is also relatively easy (especially if you are near Termini station). I decided it was worth getting to Tivoli in the afternoon to visit Villa d’Este. The regional COTRAL bus system offers service from Rome’s Ponte Mammalo station to Tivoli. The stop for Ponte Mammalo is on Metro Line B (make sure you take the train headed in the direction of Rebiba since line B splits at Bologna station).

Once you are in Tivoli, the stop for Villa d’Este is Largo Nazioni Unite (just a few minutes from the villa entrance). The trip to Tivoli took about an hour and the return trip was faster. I bought the bus tickets once I was at Ponte Mammalo at one of the tobacco/coffee shops. The ticket must be validated as you board the bus.

For train travel, the Rome to Pescara line from Tiburtina station gets you to Tivoli in 30 minutes. The Tivoli train station is on the outskirts of town (but less than a mile away). There is a special shuttle bus connecting the train station to the city center.

One of the official villa videos (shot by a drone) provides an aerial view of the stunning surroundings and water features.

Commissioned by Cardinal d’Este — a descendant of the infamous Borgia clan after a failed attempt to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps to the Papacy — the Villa d’Este is considered to be among the pinnacle of Renaissance architecture and gardens.

Some of the statues and features were removed from neighboring Hadrian’s Villa while d’Este served as mayor of the then French-controlled Tivoli.

The hydraulic organ located in the center of the gardens is a popular spot for selfies as well as professional photo shoots as we discovered later afternoon. The organ plays every two hours starting 10:30 am.

The design of the villa takes advantage of the dramatic cliff side.

The interior of the villa is filled with frescoes. Most of the ceiling art is original and in great condition.

However, it is really the garden filled with larger than life fountains and antiquities that draws crowds for day trips. Some of the fountains were added over time, with a few designed by Bernini in the 17th century.