14.
Life is an experiment in which
you may fail or succeed. Explore more, expect less. | Santosh Kalwar
Tivoli
Tivoli, about a solid hour ride
outside of Rome has always been known as a popular summer residence spot due to
its cooler temperatures and its proximity to the Villa Hadriana. On Wednesday,
we took a day trip to Tivoli as a class. We spent the entire day outside
exploring two magnificent gardens and estates – Villa Hadriana and Villa d’este.
To be quite honest with you, after spending the past 4 days slaving over my
final studio project, I was tired and not too amused with the idea of having a
day long trip when we had deadlines due. My expectations were low and on our
way to Tivoli, all I remembered thinking was, “Wow, I have so much to do”. This
mentality quickly changed and I can honestly say that this was one of my
favorite days spent in Italy. Let me tell you a bit more about my experiences
here in Tivoli.
Villa Hadriana
Constructed back in the second
and third decades of the 2nd century AD, Hadrian’s Villa is a huge
complex at the top of the hill of Tivoli that once included many pools, baths,
fountains, arenas and theaters. Now, this area is basically a park of ruins, sculptures
and mosaics. As you walk around and interact with the ruins, you can get an
idea of the monumentality of the baths and theaters with using a bit of your
imagination alongside the rubbles of the materials left in place. Hadiran’s
Villa is on the list of INESCO World Heritage Sites and is a huge asset because
of the importance of the culture and architecture that is still preserved
today.
Villa d’Este
I suppose that all of the girls
in our group had already knew of Villa d’Este because of its reference in the
Lizzie McGuire Movie. However, this site was new to me and boy, was I taken aback
when I saw the terraced hillside Italian Renaissance gardens that are on the
backside of the villa. As you walk through the villa towards the back of the
estate, you find yourself getting a neck cramp because you find yourself
looking up at the beautifully decorated ceilings in the villa. But the real
fame and glory of the Villa d’Este is found in the terraced garden that has an
extraordinary system of fountains, spouts, water jets, waterfalls and water
basins. The most interesting thing is that these systems of fountains are
completely operable on the force of gravity, without any pumps! I was
completely in awe and I mazed through the gardens, walking upon a beautiful
site after every corner I turned!
