The first stop on this tour will be at the countryside villa of the famed Emperor Hadrian. An enthusiastic architect himself, Hadrian designed the villa as his perfect summer retreat; he liked it so much in fact, that it later became his primary residence. Built in the second century AD the complex stretches over 250 acres and contains over 30 buildings, including: dining halls, temples, kitchens, and even a Maritime theatre where the emperor could enjoy performances while lounging in the pool or catch up on his reading in the library on his artificial island. As a lover of the natural world, Hadrian ensured that the villa had a small farm that supplied its produce and therefore made the complex entirely self-sustaining.

From Hadrian’s Villa we take a short drive, and trip forward in time, to the historic palace called Villa d’Este. Originally constructed in the mid1500’s by Pope Alexander VI’s family (and the infamous Lucrezia Borgia) the villa hosted many popes over the years and is now home to works by some of the greatest artists of the age as a result. In the 1800’s came the addition of the villa’s most prominent feature, the gardens. The enormous complex, spanning 11 acres, boasts over 50 fountains, 200 basins, and more than 60 waterfalls all flowing from almost a kilometer of canals, all of which are powered entirely by gravity! The overwhelming beauty of the gardens, a contender for one of the 7 wonders of the modern world, can make you forget that it remains to this day one of the most impressive feats of engineering ever accomplished but with all the Greek and Roman statues, secret gardens and refreshing pools, it’s easy to get distracted.