T H E H I S T O R I C A L M A R V E L
amid rolling olive-green meadows,
terraced hillsides, and a
playful jumble of faded mansions and cobbled alleyways lies
Tivoli, a getaway for tired urbanites since Ancient times.
Indeed, Hadrian (yes, he of the wall dividing England and
Scotland) sensibly chose to retire here, and what remains of
his villa is one of the most gargantuan Roman ruins in Europe.
Five kilometres outside the main town’s charismatic jumble
of sleepy trattorias, bench-lolling pensioners, dozing cats and
peeling chapel walls, the villa is a kind of ancient theme park
filled with reproductions of Emperor Hadrian’s favourite
structures. In what can either be seen as an act of daring
innovation or just plain hubris, under his instruction labourers
built facsimiles of grottos, temples, theatres and steam baths
that he’d encountered on his travels to Greece and Egypt.
To get a real flavour for the place, head out first thing. An
incredible number of the ancient structures remain and an
early visit means you can walk undisturbed among the old
stones, surrounded by pines and cypresses. Back in the main
town, take a languid lunch of grilled artichokes followed by a
main course of
trippa al Romana
(
tripe cooked with vegetables,
tomatoes and Parmesan cheese) at Alfredo’s Ristorante
(
alfredoallascaletta.it
)
before crossing the street to Tivoli’s
other historical marvel – Villa Gregoriana (
villagregoriana.it
),
which is proof that the role of pope hasn’t always been
confined to ecclesiastical affairs.
Named after Pope Gregory XVI, who, in the 19th century,
diverted the town’s river away from the centre to stop
flooding, this park contains two vast waterfalls plunging down
a 60m gorge. And it’s an ideal place to walk off a heavy lunch.
It takes about an hour and a half to saunter to the bottom on
steep footpaths lined with mossy massifs and lush greenery.
The climb back up and into town, past a ruined Roman villa,
should be enough to have your leg muscles pining for respite.
For those ready to drop, salvation is at hand in the shapely
form of the Torre San Angelo (
hoteltorresangelo.it
),
a regal-
looking former castle overlooking the town centre. Previously a
royal villa and an Olivetani monastery, its rooms look out onto a
large courtyard with backdrops of distant hills and cobalt skies.
This may be a town rich in history, but it doesn’t demand too
much from the visitor except to meander, imbibe and forget
those queues for St Peter’s Basilica back in Rome.
PHOTO
GETTY
T I VO L I
ROME TERMINI > TIVOLI
59
MINS
(
€6 RETURN)
40
MINS
34
KM
FROM
ROME
0 7 7
