Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com – Not everyone has the chance to visit the breathtaking Villa d’Este in Tivoli, Italy, but we are fortunate to catch a glimpse of its splendor. The 16th-century Grotto of Diana in the villa’s gardens is reopening after being closed for 50 years and undergoing a two-year period of careful restoration.
Park of Villa d’Este with fountain Rometta and view into the courtyard around the town of Tivoli, Italy. Credit: Karelj – CC BY-SA 3.0
“This restoration aims to explore and decode the countless layers of meaning at Villa d’Este, highlighting how this place continues to radiate its magnificent beauty while occasionally revealing the sophisticated cultural vision that inspired it,” said Andrea Bruciati, director of the Villa Adriana and Villa d’Este Institute. “With this effort, we aim to counteract the loss and neglect that often affects our heritage, and the recovery of the Grotto of Diana ensures that this treasure becomes accessible once more to the public.”
Credit: Andrea Concordia VILLÆ
As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Villa d’Este stands as a masterpiece of Italian architecture and garden design, renowned for its terraced hillside Renaissance garden and ingenious architectural features like fountains and ornamental basins.
Commissioned in 1560 by Cardinal Ippolito II d’Este, son of Lucrezia Borgia and Alfonso I d’Este, this villa reflects his passion for the arts. After striving tirelessly for the papal mitre without success, he chose to retire to Tivoli. A devoted patron of art, he played a significant role in renovating Este palaces across Ferrara, Rome, Siena, and Fontainebleau. He also championed the restoration of his ancient neighbor’s estate—the grand Villa Adriana built by Emperor Hadrian.
Credit: Andrea Concordia VILLÆ
The site is genuinely remarkable, featuring a central area adorned with an exquisite cross vault and impressive caryatids holding baskets. It’s a delight to see the large niche with its rocky backdrop and fountain, complemented by three elegant arms. The first arm captivates with two wall niches and a barrel vault; on the left, it showcases two beautiful bas-reliefs alongside another niche with a rocky backdrop and fountain.
On the right, the barrel vault impresses with two grand bas-reliefs on either side and an opening that leads to a loggia offering breathtaking views of Rome. From this vantage point, one can ascend via a charming double-horseshoe staircase above the Loggia of the Winds to reach a small terrace that offers an awe-inspiring panoramic view.
Credit: VILLÆ
Ippolito enlisted architect Pirro Ligorio to design an extraordinary chateau with a “giardino delle meraviglie” (garden of marvels), setting a standard for European stately gardens with its fountains and grottos featuring some of the earliest hydraulic automatons.
The Grotto di Diana was added between 1570-1572 by Paolo Calandrino on Cardinal’s Walk at an upper level. Its cruciform chamber boasts large caryatids at each corner with niches adorned by faux rocky backdrops and fountains that captivate visitors with their beauty.
Inside this grotto lies an array of polychrome mosaics made from diverse materials—stucco shells enamel glass paste tesserae glazed majolica semi-precious stones—that dance under light reflections creating texture movement throughout space while marine motifs grace vaulted ceilings alongside Ovid’s Metamorphoses scenes depicted within wall mosaics; colorful glazed terracotta tiles bearing Este family emblems adorn floors too!
Credit: Andrea Concordia VILLÆ
Restoration began in 2023 when VILLÆ conservators found missing sculpture reliefs, mortar loss, oxidized supports, and deteriorating mosaics due to moisture and wind damage.
Credit: Andrea Concordia VILLÆ
They used authentic materials and modern elements like protective glass panels, new lighting systems highlighting nymphaeum colors, and enhanced walkways for accessibility. The public can experience this on May sixth!
This architectural masterpiece truly deserves admiration for its intricate design and stunning vistas.
Written by Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com Staff Writer
