Villa d'Este and Tivoli

Today I started out at Santa Maria Degli Angeli, a basilica located on the site of the former baths of Diocletian.  The basilica is right next to the Termini train station and they had an English Mass this morning at 9:00 a.m. The Paulist pastor had the Mass and it was quite beautiful.  Being in that church reminded me of our first Holy Angels Music Ministry concert overseas.  It was held in this very building just about 10 years ago, in 1995.  Also, Michelangelo helped to design it and bring it to completion in 1564.  The church hoped to make a statement on the site of Diocletian's baths because he had been so anti-Christian.  It is a stunning building and attending Mass there was a wonderful way to begin my day!!!

From there I boarded the subway to the Ponte Mammolo stop and then got on another bus for Tivoli.

Now, if you've ever been on a Roman bus, you know that (just like at an Italian table) there's always room for one more!  I was squished in the middle of the bus with many of my new best friends.  I call them best friends because if touching connotes friendship, I was very close with many of them!  An Italian grandma actually took my backpack from me and set it in her lap.  I guess she got tired of me knocking her with it!  You gotta love it!

Tivoli is a city located approximately 18 miles east of Rome.  It's a lovely little city and I walked 15,000 steps of it today!!!!  It's up on a hillside and pretty easily accessible by bus or train.  Just outside Tivoli is Hadrian's Villa, which I did not visit today.  However, I spent a good 3 hours or so at Villa d'Este located right in the heart of the city.

The Villa d'Este palace was commissioned by Cardinal Ippolito II d'Este, son of Alfonso d'Este and grandson (yes, grandson) of Pope Alexander VI.  It's an amazing little (I'm being facetious here!) place and remarkably well preserved.  The interior consists of room after room of frescoes and beautiful ceilings.  I could bore you with all the details but you can learn more about the building, by clicking HERE.

What is even more remarkable are the gardens!  I was amazed at the dozens of fountains which bedazzled and amazed me.  The interesting thing is that they are all powered by the water itself which flows from the estate into the gardens and fountains below.  It was simply incredible and I found myself just wandering on a clear and sunny afternoon just getting lost watching people, listening to the quiet trickle of water and the intensity of gushing fountains.  The gardens are immense.  They were a favorite of composer and musician, Franz Liszt.  No doubt he found it's tranquility an appropriate environment for composition and inspiration.  One of the fountains, called the "Organ" fountain has organ pipes in it's center.  Several times throughout the day, the doors open revealing the pipes within and water flows down a wall, through a wheel and the organ begins to magically play. Check out this video of the Organ Fountain by clicking on the highlighted words.   I found it difficult to photograph fountains.  It's hard to capture the beauty, the sound and the glory of these fountains so I've found another YouTube video which you can click on HERE.

It's been a great day and it was wonderful to wander off, on my own, to get a lot of walking in and enjoying the sites.  Tomorrow it's off to Orvieto and Assisi!