Last Field Sketching Day: Tivoli


Villa Adriana



Built between 118 and 138 A.D. the villa is distributed over an area of 120 hectares. Currently you are able to visit only 40 hectares. Spread though out the grounds, you can find residential buildings, baths, nymphs, pavilions, gardens, and theatres. One of the most beautiful and outstanding architectural feats that can be found are the water features. What make them so special are the reflections that are projected on them through out the day. Noticing this, our class had an exceptional assignment to do. We created groups of two and grabbed one board for each group. Then we had to sketch a water feature and its reflection, but having to split the work between the two people in the group. The result was a very unique and elegant sketch of two separate ways of combining one image.
-Mauricio Perez



Villa D'este

On our last fieldsketching/history lesson of the semester we went to see the Villa D'este in Tivoli. On our way to the site we ate dinner in a local shop and met a group of friendly young italians playing soccer. Villa D'este is a world heritage site and renowned for its garden of hundreds of water jets in fountains, pools and water troughs. 


Villa D'estate was commissioned by Cardinal Ippoliti D'estate, grandson of Pope Alexander VI. After being appointed Governor of Tivoli, with the assistance of Pirro Ligorio he reconstructed the site. Pirro Ligorio, along with Tommaso Chiruchi of Bologna were responsible for the design of the gardens. 


Chiruchi was a skilled hydraulic engineer during the 16th century and is credited for the amazing water-works of the villa. There are gigantic pools, explosive jets and a walkway of over a hundred streams of water. Everywhere you look, water is somehow incorporated. We were told that at a certain time each day one of the fountains opens and plays music, although we were unable to experience it. 


The weather was warm and balmy and the sun was high, the perfect climate to fully experience all the villa had to offer.


-Kyle Moran