Villa d'Este

Cardinal Ippolito d'Este, denied the papacy, consoled himself from 1560 with a garden below his villa at Tivoli that used the steep slope and a diverted river to run hundreds of fountains without a single pump; everything is gravity, and it still is. The Hundred Fountains run along a terrace in a line of jets and masks. The Fountain of the Organ contains a water organ, air compressed by falling water forcing it through pipes, which was restored in 2003 after centuries silent and now plays on the hour. The Owl fountain uses the same principle to make birdsong and then an owl's cry. UNESCO listed it in 2001.

What you actually see

• The water organ - an instrument played by falling water, restored and working.
• The Hundred Fountains - a terrace-long line of jets and carved masks.
• The Oval Fountain - a curved cascade behind a walkable colonnade.
• The gravity system - the whole garden running without pumps since 1560.

When to go

April to June and September to October; the water organ plays on the hour at set times and the Owl fountain on the half hour. Summer is hot and crowded, winter has reduced water.

Honest expectations

The garden is steep with many steps and hard going for limited mobility. Fountain performances are on a schedule worth checking. Some fountains are dry during maintenance.

Nearby

Hadrian's Villa lies below Tivoli; Villa Gregoriana is in the town.