Now an Italian state museum, Cardinal Ippolito Il d'Este commissioned architect Pirro Ligoriothe to create this villa and gardens on the site of a dilapidated Benedictine monastery after he was appointed governor of Tivoli in 1550.

Renowned for its magnificent gardens and fountains, Villa d’Este was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001 and recognised as one of the "most remarkable and comprehensive illustrations of Renaissance culture at its most refined".

With its ornamental fountains and incredible sculptures, the garden is a masterpiece of hydraulic engineering, which extends across two steep slopes, descending from the palace to a flat terrace. A highlight is the Organ Fountain, which due to its hydraulic mechanism, can produce sounds like a proper musical instrument.

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