Villa d’Este
Piazza Trento, 5
00019 Tivoli (RM)
Contacts:
Offices and Administration Dept.::
phone: +39 07745589
email: va-ve@cultura.gov.it
Person in charge:
dott. Davide Bertolini
davide.bertolini@cultura.gov.it
Villa d’Este
Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2001, the villa grounds include a masterpiece of Italian garden design with an amazing concentration of fountains, nymphaea, grottoes, water themes and a organ which produces audible effects created by water.
This is the place where, disillusioned at not having been elected as Pope, Cardinal Ippolito II d’Este revived the splendour of the courts of Ferrara, Rome and Fointanebleau, and brought the magnificence of Villa Adriana back to life. Governor of Tivoli from the year 1550, he soon toyed with the idea of creating a garden on the slope of the Valle gaudente, but it was only after 1560 that the architectural and iconological aspects of the Villa, designed by painter-archaeologist-architect Pirro Ligorio and built by court architect Alberto Galvani, became clear. The palace was decorated by the protagonists of late Roman Mannerism.
The Villa had almost been completed by the time Ippolito d’Este died in 1572. Further work in the 17th century was followed by a period of decline, until Cardinal Gustav Adolf von Hohenlohe refurbished the old grandeur and even hosted musician Ferenc Liszt (1811-1886). Purchased by the Italian government between the Twenties and Thirties of the last century, the Villa was renovated and opened to the public
from 31 March to 15 September 2024
8.45am – 7.45pm (last admission 6.45pm, garden closes at 7.30pm)
from September 16 to September 29, 2024
8.45 am – 7.15 pm (last admission 6.15 pm, garden closes at 7.00 pm)
from September 30 to October 26, 2024 (time change)
8.45 am – 6.45 pm (last admission 5.45 pm, garden closes at 6.30 pm)
from October 27, 2024 to January 26, 2025
8.45 am – 5.15 pm (last admission 4.15 pm, garden closes at 4.45 pm)
Monday opening at 14.00
On public holidays Mondays, opening hours are from 8:45 a.m. and the following Tuesday from 2:00 p.m. Closing according to the reference timetable.
Free admission on the first Sunday of the month, on April 25 (Liberation Day), on June 2 (Republic Day) and on November 4 (National Unity Day and Armed Forces Day).
Closing days: Monday morning, January 1st and December 25th, except for special project openings which are reported on this website.
The hydraulic organ of the Organ Fountain is activated daily, starting at 10:30, every two hours.
In the event of meteorological precipitations and the consequent swelling of the Aniene River, the water supply of the Villa fountains could be temporarily suspended.
With a high number of visitors, for safety reasons, the entrance to the Villa may be limited, the route may be subject to changes and some exhibition rooms may be closed. The exit is foreseen from the gate of Piazza Campitelli.
Villa d’Este ticket office
Piazza Trento, 5
00019 Tivoli (RM)
email: prenotazioni@coopculture.it
telefono: +39 0774332920; +39 06 39967900 (call center)
On the recommendation of the Museum General Management “You are hereby informed that this Institute undertakes to offer visitors the longest possible opening hours, in compliance with the criteria established for the opening hours to the public, security and safety of Italian state museums and cultural facilities provided for by Ministerial Decree D.M. of 30 June 2016, pending completion of the expected proceedings to overcome the current lack of staff and set up the consequent recruitment procedures”
- The water organ of the Fountain of the Organ is activated daily from 10.30 a.m. onwards, every two hours.
- Certain parts of the Villa may be closed for restoration work; ask at the Ticket Office for information. Pay particular attention to areas where danger signs have been affixed.
- Should the river Aniene become swollen due to heavy rainfall, the water supply of the Villa fountains could be temporarily shut off for a few days.
- Audioguides can be used (in Italian, English, French, German and Spanish) during the visit to the Villa and Garden. They can be rented for € 4 at the entrance. (service no longer available due to Covid-19 Healthcare emergency)
- Two bookshops, a multimedia room available to the public are to be found inside the Villa as well as a viewing facility, where a continuously looping introductory video in four languages about Villa d’Este is broadcast.
The Villae are part of an inestimable architectural, archaeological, historical and naturalistic heritage. To preserve their beauty and protect them from damage they must be treated with care. We need everyone’s cooperation if this precious and fragile legacy is to maintain its splendour and continue to reveal its age-old history.
The Villae comprise diverse, multiform sites, but are the expression of one and the same cultural heredity and unitary management principles. This is why we have drawn up a single set of general regulations for conscious and respectful fruition of the venues that can be easily adapted to suit the specific characteristics of each one of us.
By Car
From Rome: Take the A24 motorway, exit at the Tivoli toll booth, then proceed along the Maremmana Inferiore road until you reach the junction with Via Tiburtina. Now head towards the centre of Tivoli. Alternatively, you can take via Tiburtina directly.
From L’Aquila: Take the A24 motorway and exit at the Castel Madama toll booth. Proceed along via Empolitana, then via Acquaregna and follow the directions for the town centre. Pay attention to the restricted traffic areas.
Parking facilities: There is a multi-storey car park the near Rocca Pia a few hundred meters from Villa d’Este and another parking lot in Piazza Garibaldi (both subject to a parking fee).
Public Transport
By BUS from Rome: Take the subway, Metro B, and get off at the station of Ponte Mammolo, then take the Co.Tra.L. bus via Prenestina or via Tiburtina or via motorway (preferable) to Tivoli. Get off at the Largo delle Nazioni Unite stop (near Piazza Garibaldi) and proceed on foot for a short distance.
BY RAIL: from Stazione Termini or from Stazione Tiburtina until reaching the railway station of Tivoli. Now proceed on foot following the directions for Villa d’Este
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