Parco Villa Gregoriana

Useful Information

photography — Vue de la grotte des sirènes à Tivoli, 1812, **Johann Christian Reinhart** (*1761–✝1847). Parco Villa Gregoriana, Tivoli, Lazio, Italy. Public Domain.

Location:	Largo Sant'Angelo, 1, 00019 Tivoli RM. In Tivoli, car park Piazza Assimo, entranc across the road. (41.9655246, 12.8019681)
Open:	25-MAR to JUN daily 10-18:30. JUL to AUG daily 10-19. SEP to mid-OCT daily 10-18:30. Mid-OCT to OCT daily 10-18. NOV daily 10-16:30. DEC daily 10-16. [2024]
Fee:	Adults EUR 10, Children (6-18) EUR 3, Children (0-5) free, Students (-25) EUR 6, Tivoli Residents EUR 3, Families (2+*) EUR 23. [2024]
Classification:	Tufa Cave Growing Rock Tufa Deposits
Light:	n/a
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Parco Villa Gregoriana, Largo Sant'Angelo, 1, 00019 Tivoli RM, Tel: +39-0774-332650. E-mail: Fondo per L'Ambiente Italiano ETS, FAI, Via Carlo Foldi, 2, 20135 Milano, Tel: +39-02-4676151, Fax +39-02-48193631.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1832	stream canalized on the initiative of Pope Gregory XVI.
2002	park managed by the Fondo Ambiente Italia (FAI), closed for renovation.
2005	reopened to the public.

Description

The Parco Villa Gregoriana is a rugged valley with numerous waterfalls, trail, tufa caves, and tufa deposits. It is the park of the Villa Gregoriana, the wooded gardens created by the Pope in the 19th century. Tivoli is a small village located 28 km east of the city center of Rome, but unlike Rome which was located between 20 and 40 m asl, Tivoli is more than 230 m asl. During the summer, when the heat in the city was almost unbearable, all the rich citizens went for a few months into the mountains nearby. And Tivoli was the best compromise between closeness and nice climate. It was for those who were important, and were able to afford a villa with fountains, which cooled the air further. And it allowed short trips to the city for important things. The families were typically sent much further and higher up into the mountains.

In 1832, on the initiative of Pope Gregory XVI, the river Aniene was canalized. It seems the river had caused frequent floods. The result are the numerous underground tunnels which channel the water. The main river was deviated into a double tunnel dug through Mount Catillo. The Pope als created the park which was named after him, which soon became quite popular among artists of Romanticism. They created numerous paintings which were sold all over the world and made the place known worldwide. It was called the Valley of Hell by the Grand Tour travellers. The park became the property of the State after World War II. Since 2002 it has been managed by the Fondo Ambiente Italia (FAI). The site was in a state of abandonment at that time, and they first renovated it, before it was reopened in 2005.

The park is the place where the river Aniene forms a 150 m high drop with numerous waterfalls. The Aniene is dammed above the waterfall, then flows underground through two tunnels. There are numerous channels and aqueducts across the park, most of them underground. The Parco Villa Gregoriana is the place where the river Aniene originally dropped into the valley. Today only a part of the water goes down the original waterfalls. The result of the redesign was a new waterfall named Cascata Grande, which is today the second-highest waterfall in Italy.

The largest waterfall is the Grande Cascata di Tivoli which is 120 m high. It is located on the eastern rim of the park and may be seen from the Belvedere Grande Cascata. Walking further down in serpentines, the Grotta delle Sirene is reached. It is located at a side branch of the Aniene. One side branch flows around Piazza Massimo, goes through an underground aqueduct, and drops into a side branch of the valley, forming the spectacular Grotta di Nettuno. This cave was depicted on numerous artworks since the middle ages. All over the parc there are numerous small waterfalls, like the Cascata Nella Gola, the Cascate dell'Aniene and the Cascata Antica

The site is not a cave, and there is actually not much about karst to see, nevertheless, we classified it as a karst feature. The reason are the huge and quite spectacular tufa deposits. Actually, all the waterfalls build their own tufa deposit, and as always, the form bulbous and conical forms, and now and then a tufa cave. The two caves in the park are both tufa caves formed by the deposition of limestone.

The park is pleasant to visit, nevertheless, there is an elevation gain of almost 150 m. Strollers are not recommended, as there are numerous steps. Along the trails are numerous drinking water fountains, and there are toilets. The exit is on the opposite side, so it is not necessary to go down and up on the other side a second time. At the exit is a bookstore of the Fondo Ambiente Italia (FAI), which manages the park.

The site has actually no buildings, but there are the ruins of the Villa of the Roman Consul Manlius Vopiscus. It was praised by Horace. The Acropoli Tiburtina is a terrace right below the Roman temples overlooking the valley. It is dedicated to Albunea, the Tiburtine Sibyl, and Tiburnus.