A Night in Tivoli

Tuesday 7 – Wednesday 8 April 2026

We decided that our first exploration into the countryside should be somewhere close by.  So without much planning, we picked Tivoli.  50 minutes by train, accommodation available, and most importantly the town loses its day tourists and reverts to a normal local community as evening approaches.

On top of the world.

Set high up on a mountain, the views of the surrounding countryside are spectacular. The streets are cobbled and steep.  I didn’t look closely, but I assume that the locals have very impressive thighs.

We walked miles around the small town, enjoying the safe and peaceful streets and taking photos.  As you approach the walled edges of the town, the wind blows up over the rim, and before the land below comes into view, you almost expect to see water. Like you are on the waterfront of some coastal town.

Dinner was a mixture of somewhat unexciting leftovers that we had dragged from our kitchen in Rome, and by 8pm we were in bed.

Villa D’este

On Wednesday morning we headed to Villa D’Este to see this retired mansion and the fountains it was famous for.

There are three Villas open to the public in Tivoli.  We settle on this one because it seemed the most impressive and beautiful.  Entry E15/E2.

It was a five minute walk from our accommodation – if we had taken the most direct route.  Google maps like to direct one to the external gates of properties that have very large padlocks on them.

The Villa was built in the 1500’s and was modified by Popes and Cardinals for the next hundred years. The Villa is highly decorated, with barely a wall spared from the artist’s brush.

The gardens are grand and well maintained given the age of the infrastructure.  Many fountains were not operating, but more than enough to recreate the grandure of the place.

The Villa is perched on the side of the mountain, as is most of Tivoli, for the views can be spectacular …

… but sadly, can also show the smog of Rome in the distance.

After about 90 minutes of walking around the gardens, we headed to a cafe for a very typical Tivoli breakfast.  A shot of expresso, water and a dangerously flaky croissant.

By 1pm, we were back on the train to Rome to catch our connection to the site of our next adventure – Terni.