Villa d'Este - Tivoli

Today I visited the Villa d'Este in Tivoli about 18 miles from Rome. This trip to Tivoli was a pleasant drive through the countryside of Italy. Tivoli is situated on a hill overlooking the city of Rome; I could see the dome of St. Peter's Basilica from Tivoli. The Villa is known for it's beautiful fountains and commisssioned in 1550 by Renaissance noble and Cardinal Ippolito d'Este. There are lush, steeply sloping gardens, grottoes, reflecting pools and even a musical fountain. It was a delightful and refreshing experience to walk along the gardens and see all the different fountains and reflecting pools with whimsical grottoes and statues.