It was perhaps the Siculi who founded the first settlement here on the high plain of the River Aniene around 1000 B.C.
It was such a nice place a colony of Greeks fleeing Troy made it their home, naming it 'Tibur' after one of the sons of the original immigrants.
It soon caught the eye of well heeled Romans from the 4th century B.C. who considered it an excellent spot for their holiday villas and temples, culminating in Hadrian's huge retirement home 6 km from the present day town.
Always faithful to Rome, Tivoli remained autonomous within the Holy Roman Empire for centuries until Italian unification.
The post Second World War building in Tivoli leaves you in no doubt as to the damage caused by the bombing of 1944.
In fact, the famous Villa D'Este required 20 years of restoration to bring it back to its current state and very recent work on the magnificent fountains means the villa has not looked so good since the 1800's.
Today, it can boast 875 meters of water courses, 64 waterfalls and cascades, 51 fountains and nymphaeums, 364 jets of water and 398 spurts.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) describes Villa Adriana near Tivoli as: "an exceptional complex of classical buildings created in the 2nd century AD by the Roman Emperor Hadrian ... reproduces the best elements of the material cultures of Egypt, Greece, and Rome in the form of an "ideal city."
They add: ''The monuments that make up the Villa Adriana played a crucial role in the rediscovery of the elements of classical archi-tecture by the architects of the Renaissance and the Baroque period. It also profoundly influenced many 19th and 20th century architects and designers."
It takes a while to get a grip on Villa Adriana, but we suggest you walk around it twice, once quickly, then more slowly with guide book in hand.
It does have everything and you can easily imagine Hadrian and pals making use of the baths, library, gardens, theatres, water temples etc.
As for the common folk look out for the guards barracks, servants quarters and access roads.
{jb_bluebox}SUGGESTED LINKS
www.villadestetivoli.info
See also Tivoli traditional local custume{jb_bluebox}
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