Villa D’Este Gardens

Villa d’Este was commissioned by Cardinal Ippolito II d’Este, son of Alfonso I d’Este and Lucrezia Borgia. Since 1550 until his death (1573) the Cardinal created a Palace surrounded by a spectacular terraced garden with fountains, waterfalls, pools, grottos, water jets and an hydraulic organ, which plays real music.

The villa is one of great 16th century masterpieces, a fine example of the Italian architecture and Italian Renaissance Gardens.

Since 2001 Villa d’Este is part of the Unesco World Heritage List: it is “one of the first giardini delle meraviglie, an early model for the development of European gardens”. (Unesco)