Foro Romano (500 B.C. to 300 A.D.)

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1 To understand Rome you have to understand its history is divided into two periods. The first we are all familiar with: the ancient city. But once the Empire fell in roughly 500 AD, the city s influence, wealth and population declined during medieval times, until the city was actually abandoned (yes, it had no population). This occurred just before the Italian Renaissance when trading cities such as Florence were becoming dominant. This was the time of the Reformation, when the supremacy of the Pope was challenged throughout Europe. Of course, such liberalism would be challenged by the reactionaries. The physical manifestation of this reaction would take two forms. First, the clear (and understandable) architecture of the Renaissance was challenged by the geometric complexity (and excessive decoration) of Baroque architecture. This new style seems to say the world is a complex place, and to understand its mysteries you need a guide, i.e. religion. Second, the Counter-Reformation led to a resurgence of the power of the Pope and of the papal city, Rome. As a result, Rome is the Baroque city. With its history divided into two distinct periods, Rome sharply contrasts Paris, which has evolved without interruption since the medieval city was born on Île St. Louis. ANCIENT ROME Foro Romano (500 B.C. to 300 A.D.) VIA DEI FORI IMPERIALI Basically, I think ruins are a bore. In most cases, there is too little left to understand how people lived. There are a few sites worth a careful look. There are actually two Forums in Rome. Foro Romano was built during the republican period. There are numerous sites in this area to see, including the Temple of the Vestal Virgins and the great Basilica of Rome. This building includes a central nave and two side aisles. It began as a courts building and ended as a Christian church. This transformation is one of the great political stories of all time.

2 Diocletian bi-furcated the leadership of Rome with two emperors one that would rule Rome (and Italy) and another that would rule the provinces. Constantine was born in Trier, Germany and rose to be the Emperor of the provinces. Seeking to re-consolidate the power of Rome, Constantine marched on the city besieging it in 312 A.D. Seeking an ally within the City s walls he conspired with a Jewish religious sect that believed that Christ was the savior. In the quid pro quo he elevated Christianity to become the religion of Rome after his victory. The myth is that Constantine converted to Christianity; in fact he coopted the faith. Prior to Constantine the symbol of Christianity was the fish, symbolic of the love of Christ. Constantine replaced this symbol with the cross, symbolic both of the death of Christ and crucifixion, representing the power of Rome and the means of capital punishment reserved for people who were not citizens of Rome. Similarly, the Roman basilica, typically a judicial building, became the prototype for the Christian church. It was as if the old empire slipped on a new religious costume. Constantine had redefined a religion which would now use the instruments of Roman authority as their symbols. Just adjacent to the Foro Romano is the Imperial Forum that was constructed over successive generations by different emperors. With the construction of this new Forum, the old one lost much of its importance, becoming a gathering place for common people. Unfortunately, much of the Imperial Forum is covered by a modern roadway. However, it is still possible to trace its outline just north of the Foro Romano. Of certain interest is the fact that Caligula built a wooden bridge from the Palatine Hill, traditional residence of the Emperors, over the old Republican Forum The Arch of Titus in the Foro Romano. so he could reach the Imperial Forum without having to walk through the throngs of ordinary people in the old Foro Romano. What a guy. From the Arch of Titus, it is only a short walk to the Colosseo, erected to honor Titus after his successful war to subdue the Jews. Study the bas relief panel inside the arch on the south side, there Roman soldiers are pictured carrying away the Menorah from the Temple in Jerusalem. As part of this campaign, he destroyed the second Temple constructed by Herod, and began the Diaspora. With only a few exceptions, the Jews were banned from the Temple Mount from 67 AD until the end of the Six Day War in Herod left his subordinate, Flavius Silva, in charge of the cleanup operation, which included the three year campaign to destroy Masada. For all this and a few other grisly reasons, Titus became Emperor. As a prelude to visiting the Colosseo walk across the Via dei Fori Imperiali and visit Nero s Golden House.

3 Colosseo (72-82 A.D.) PIAZZA COLOSSEO The Coliseum is the postcard-picture building that more than anything else symbolizes Rome. The building in fact deserves its reputation. One of the largest sports venues in the Roman Empire, the level of technical sophistication in the structure could rival any modern US arena. Layers of circulation space surround the building, giving easy access for spectators. Entering the enclosure, the underground vaults that housed animals, gladiators, and Christians can be seen from above. At times, the arena was flooded for the staging of naval battles. Around the top of the arena you will see large brackets that held wooden poles. These were used to suspend the vela roof - a fabric sunshade that could be drawn over the arena, leaving a circular opening at the center for hot air to escape. After Constantine made Christianity the official religion of Rome, the gladiatorial games continued. In 404 AD, a monk jumped into the arena to protest the games. In response, the crowd killed the monk and the games continued - now these were fans that really loved their sport. And you thought the fans at the Garden were tough. Note: If the line for tickets is long, you can walk over to the entry to the Palatine Hill and purchase a ticket that will give you access to both the Palatine and the Colosseo. You can then skip to the head of the line. Domus Aurea. Domus Aurea (65 A.D.) PARCO OPPIO The Golden House built by Nero was a vast assemblage of buildings which included a major lake. Only completed three years before Nero s death the building had a brief life before Emperor Vespasian began its demolition. The lake was drained and became the site of the Colosseo. Over the years the buildings became the foundations for later Roman buildings. Today many of the internal chambers have been excavated and it is possible to understand the monumental scale of an Emporer s residence. The Coliseum.

4 Pantheon (NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH THE PARTHENON IN ATHENS) ( A.D.), PIAZZA DEL ROTONDA This is possibly the best-preserved Roman building anywhere in the world. Until the advent of the indoor arena in the 20th Century, it was one of the largest interior spaces ever built by man. In fact, it is larger in diameter than the dome of St. Peter s. It was for centuries the a largest dome in the world, only surpassed by Brunelleschi s dome over the Duomo in Florence, which remains to this day the largest masonry span in the world. It was built by the Emperor Hadrian as a temple (Hadrian, like Thomas Jefferson, was both a great politician and a great architect). More important than these structural details is the essence of the space. It is a great, dark interior space, as high as it is wide, lit by a single round oculus at the top of the dome. On a sunny day the lighting effect is spectacular. Hadrian invented a new form for religious architecture that would be repeated over and over again (it must be like the guy who invented the first television). Early Christian Architecture and San Clemente (built on a 4C Church from ) Via di San Giovanni and Via Celimontana There are a few examples of early Christian churches in Rome. One of them is San Clemente. It is interesting only in its organization. There is a forecourt separated from the street in front of the church. This outdoor space was used to lecture the recent converts to Christianity before they were allowed to enter the church. In later churches, the need to have a space for the novitiates declines and the forecourt disappears. Once inside the space is dark and cool, and the art contributes to the sense of mysticism. This sense of mystical space begins with these early basilicas and their influence reaches as far as the Gothic architecture of France.

5 Baths of Caracalla ( A.D.), VIA DELLE TERME DI CARACALLA In a bad case of dirty architectural tricks, Roman architecture is accused of lacking originality, having only copied the Greeks. This is a bad rap. The Greeks invented an ornamental system that is the basis of the Roman system. On the other hand, Greek architecture is spatially simple - generally, their buildings contained single rooms or a series of rooms arranged in a linear order. In addition, their sense of urban design was built around the concept of a sacred path or sacred place with no thought of developing a hierarchy. In comparison, Roman architecture and urban design was highly complex. Interior spaces were rich and varied. This visual richness was supported by the development of the arch and dome - concepts the Greeks did not understand. On an urban scale, the Romans conceived a complex organization of spaces, plazas, and public buildings. Key to these innovations was the Roman cruciform planning concept. In effect, spaces could be related along two axes, instead of the linear order of The Baths of Caracalla. Greek planning. The richness of Roman planning can be fully understood in the ruins of the Baths of Caracalla. The cruciform planning theme is used over and over again to relate major to minor to even more minor spaces. In addition, the Roman fascination for arches, vaults, and domes are evident in the building s structure. The Campidoglio ( A.D.), Michelangelo PIAZZA DEL CAMPIDOGLIO The Baths of Caracalla. From the Foro Romano there is a stair that leads directly up the Capitoline Hill to the Campidoglio. Pope Paul III, embarrassed by the condition of the city, commissioned Michelangelo (herein after affectionately referred to as Mike) to build this plaza to signify Rome s re-emergence as the center of the world. This public plaza sits on top of the Capitoline Hill. The space is defined by the medieval Senate building of Rome (Mike also did the steps and new main entrance) and two angled museum buildings, built by Mike or to Mike s design by Rinaldi. The high point is crowned by a statue of Marcus Aurelius (you know the Emperor who was murdered by his son in Gladiator ) and moved to this location by Mike. Note, the statue is plastic, the original was moved in The Campidoglio.

6 the late 1980 s to a museum. If this had been a Renaissance space, the façade would have formed a square or a rectangle in plan. Instead, it is a trapezoid, this shape gives the space an energy that seems to compress the power of the Senate building between the aperture between the two smaller buildings on either side. The view through this aperture is towards St. Peter s dome seen in the distance (Mike liked the Pope). This composition reverses the orientation of the hill; in ancient times the buildings on the hill faced the Roman Forum. The gentle crown at the center of the oval, topped by a statue of the Roman emperor, suggests Rome is again the center of universe. The orientation of the statue facing the Vatican suggests where the new center of the world can be found. BAROQUE ARCHITECTURE Villa Guilia ( ), G. Vignola VIALE DELLE BELLE ARTI Completed by Vignola, one of the earliest Baroque architects, the building illustrates two points: the decadence of the times, and the spatial sophistication of the Baroque. The building was built by Pope Julius III as a suburban villa. Florence developed the Urban Palace as a building type devoted to business and city life. The suburban type was usually constructed just outside the city walls, and was supposed to interpret the transition from city to country. It was usually built for pleasure. This building contains nothing but some reception rooms, bedrooms, and the gardens - you can imagine what went on in this place. Spatially, the building is fascinating. Think of it as a path, entered through a flat, imposing To understand the wonders of this period, we have to understand the evolution of religious thinking during the period. During the Renaissance, there was a relaxation in the strict control over religious thought. Intellectually, man was seen at the center of the universe. This movement became known as the Reformation and resulted in the decline of the influence of the Pope and the highly-centralized Roman Catholic Church. The Reformation was also a response to the decadence of the period. During this time, there was a succession of Popes who viewed their position as a means to political power and earthly wealth. These men were mean, greedy, war-like, and indulged themselves at every turn with the pleasures of the flesh. Not only were they corrupt, they weren t very good at it. They lost the wars they fought, their back-room deals were widely reported, and everyone knew about their illegitimate children. The Reformation was both a new world view and a rejection of an old corrupt order, and Renaissance architecture, the architecture of Florence, became a direct expression of this movement. Of course, Church leaders would not go quietly into the night. In response, they launched the Counter-Reformation. The Counter-Reformation was less than successful for similar reasons. Even with these attributes, these men were able to hire the best, and the resulting buildings and public spaces are wonderful. They created an architecture which became increasingly complex, an approach to design which suggested that you needed an interpreter (the Pope or other church leaders) to understand the Villa Guilia. the architecture.

7 urban façade. You quickly realize you are in a U -shaped building. From the entry you can follow the arcades on either side - try this, the colonnade leads to a small walled garden. Originally, these overlooked vistas of the countryside surrounding Rome; they expressed the transition from city to country. than the columns at the upper end of the stair this creates the illusion of great length and height. The Vatican Museum is dull: but you have to go through the Museum to get to the Sistine Chapel. Recommendation: no one ever tells you to bring some binoculars, and you need them to see the detail. Now walk back to the starting point and look through the series of axially aligned openings. You see in the distance a statue in a garden some distance away. As you walk towards this destination you rise upon a short flight of steps and reach an overlook, which looks down three stories to a tiny Nymphaeum (a portico supported by sculpted female forms). You sense that to reach your destination, you must descend into the earth (away from God, closer to the underworld) where you are tempted by the female icons. If they allow you (they didn t the last time I was there), you will eventually discover a small spiral stair that leads up to the garden beyond. The changes of level, the vistas, and the axes are all Baroque. Notice that the scale is walkable and very comfortable. Italian gardens are always human-scaled, showing nature perfected and man a part of an ordered universe. French gardens are infinite, intended to be viewed from horseback, expressing the power of the French state. San Pietro ( ), D. Bramante, Michelangelo and C. Moderno PIAZZA SAN PIETRO The evolution of this building illustrates the transformation from Renaissance to Baroque architecture. Study Bramante s original plan. Although complex, it is a series of square and rectangular spaces with a clear and understandable geometry. Mike redesigned it, keeping the square plan but increasing the ornament while decreasing its clarity, and, of course, adding the monumental dome. Finally, Moderno extended the nave, San Pietro s Basilica. creating a true Latin cross form, and added the façade. It began in the Renaissance and was completed in the Baroque period. The complex includes two examples of Bernini s work: the Baldacchino covers the altar mediating between human scale and the scale of Mike s dome; and the great oval plaza. Borromini - always hanging around - completed the formal stair that is guarded by the Swiss Guards. The stair is done in forced perspective; i.e. the columns at the base of the stair are taller

8 PIAZZA DEL POPOLO AND POPE SIXTUS IV Pope Sixtus IV sought to express the power of Rome in one of the most brilliant and innovative urban design schemes of all time - truly a revolutionary development. The linear streets that divide and organize the city were imposed by the Pontiff on the medieval city. The Spanish Steps connect two of these axes that pass near one another at the top and bottom of a hill. San Carlos alla Quattro Fontane (see above) marks an intersection of two of these axes with four fountains one on each street corner. At Piazza del Popolo, three of these axes come together. Stand with your back to the Egyptian obelisk and you can look down three streets at once - these vistas are anchored by two almost identical churches. The obelisks you see around Rome were brought to the city by the Caesars as spoils of war, and were used centuries later by Sixtus to mark key points in his grand re-design of Rome. In Piazza del Popolo, the architecture is of much less significance than the urban design concept, which is truly revolutionary. To guage the significance of this development, consider this chain of influence: The French came to Rome and liked the power of these concepts and built the Tuileries Palaces, which formed the axis of the Champs Elysees. The French, so impressed with what they had done, built Versailles. Baroque Rome The Plan of Rome by Pope Sixtus V A B C D E F G H Piazza del Popolo Spanish Steps San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane by Borromini Campidoglio by Michelangelo Porto Pia designed by Michelangelo Santa Maria Maggiore Colosseo Vatican The son of a gardener at Versailles liked what he saw and sold the con-

9 cept to George Washington, and we built Washington, DC. Napoleon III of France thought he was being outdone by the hicks in America and ordered Baron Haussman to slice miles of axial streets through medieval Paris, giving rise to the city we know today. Paris, Versailles, Washington, DC, and it all started here. BERNINI and BORROMINI Piazza Navona ( ), (BUILT ON THE FOUNDATIONS OF A ROMAN CIRCUS, SANT AGNESE IN AGONE) Borromini and the Fountain of the Four Rivers (1651), Bernini One of Rome s most famous plazas, the apartments that define the space are built on the foundations of a Roman circus - remember the shape of the chariot race in Ben Hur. The dominant façade on the plaza is a church designed by Borromini. The Fountain of the Four Rivers by Bernini is in the center of the Piazza just in front of the church. Check out one of Bernini s The Fountain of the Four Rivers. heroic figures in the fountain: his hands are raised in front of his face, which has a look of horror in his eyes, as if he is horrified by the ugliness of Borromini s church façade. Meanwhile, Borromini added the figure of St. Agnese at the right end of the parapet looking down at the fountain with her hand raised, seemingly scolding Bernini for (reputedly) stealing the commission to complete the fountain. Let s face it: this was a tough aesthetic neighborhood.

10 San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane ( ), G. Borromini VIA DEL QUIRINALE AT VIA DELLA QUATTRO FONTANE vs. Sant Andrea al Quirinale ( ), F. Bernini VIA DEL QUIRINALE These two small churches are only separated by a small garden along the Via del Quirinale. Each is ovular in shape, but the major axis of each is oriented in different directions. In this case, Borromini did the better building. The façade is wonderfully plastic, undulating in and out, and if you study the interior dome, I defy you to understand the geometric order behind the intersecting crosses, though you re sure there is one. The name of the church refers to the four fountains which mark one of the key intersections in Pope Sixtus IV axis pushed through the fabric of the medieval city. Finally, walk from the chapel into the next space, a small rectangular outdoor garden - notice the corners have been filled with reverse curves. The geometry of even the simplest spaces is disguised in Baroque architecture. Palazzo Barberini ( ), with stairs by Bernini and Borromini VIA QUATTRO FONTANE San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, by Borromini. You enter the palace through a long portico. Following the colonnade to the left, you encounter a wonderful square stair designed by Bernini. However, if you follow the colonnade to the right, you find a wonderful, but much smaller oval stair designed by - you guessed it - Borromini. These guys took no prisoners. The importance of these stairs and others, such as the Spanish Steps, is also very Baroque. In a Renaissance building the stair is hidden - it is too dynamic, disturbing the sense of peace with the universe. With the dynamism of the Baroque, the stair becomes a perfect expression of the movement. Bernini decided the perfect stair would be square in plan, while Borromini designed an elliptical stair.

11 Trevi Fountain ( ), N. Salvi VIA DELLA CONSULTA Okay, okay: so this is the only site that we have to see that has no redeeming architectural value. It is Disneyesque at best. the most part, remained unchanged since Sixtus had constructed his interventions on the old city. These changes were intended to add the public buildings needed by a modern government and improve traffic flow through the city. Up until the mid-twenties, these changes were within the traditional boundaries of the city. In the early Thirties, Mussolini s planners decided to build a new city center known as EUR on the outskirts ITALIAN MODERNISTS FASCISM AND THE ITALIAN FUTURISTS of the city. This new center would include buildings for both business and government. Perhaps the best building in the complex is the Palazzo dei Ricevimenti e dei Congressi. Before World War I there was a radical artistic movement that has come down to us as the Italian Futurists. This group included writers, poets, artists, and architects. They espoused an out-of-balance philosophy, which suggested that the future would evolve out of violence, rape and warfare. Somehow, these intense physical experiences would release a new level of creativity. Their work emphasized speed, motion, militarism, and industry. Perhaps the most talented architect in this group was Antonio Sant Elia. Before World War I he generated a series of remarkable images of an industrial-like landscape of towering buildings, bridges, and transportation grids. In the true spirit of Italian Futurists, he volunteered for the Italian army and was killed in the trenches. After the war, this movement led indirectly to the founding of the Fascist Party and the rise of Mussolini. Unlike Hitler, Mussolini was a modernist. He encouraged and supported a group of young architects with a variety of significant commissions. In the end, these designers felt their work was co-opted by Mussolini, transformed from a liberating statement to a celebration of the new Fascist state. Most of the work completed during this period does not measure up to the modernist designs completed in the European democracies of the period - France, Germany (before Hitler), and Austria - but there are two developments that are worth the trip. EUR With the final defeat of the Pope by Garibaldi in 1869, Rome became, Palazzo dei Ricevimenti e dei Congressi. for the first time since the Empire, the capital of a secular state. This immediately lead to a series of plans to modernize the city that had, for

12 Saubaudia When the Vandals invaded Italy, they used a simple method to force the surrender of Rome - they broke the aqueducts. However, for a thousand years the water still poured from these fantastic works of engineering. This became a disaster in the flat, low farmlands south of the ancient city. These areas became swamps for centuries. With the advent of the Renaissance Popes, the aqueducts were repaired in order to power the many fountains they built within the city to celebrate their own accomplishments. But these rulers lacked the will and the wherewithal to drain the swamps south of the city. This remained a problem until Mussolini came to power. One of his most successful public works projects was to Palazzo dei Ricevimenti e dei Congressi ( ), A. Libera drain these areas and make the farmland productive again for the first time in fifteen-hundred years. PIAZZALE DEI CONGRESSI Designed by Adelberto Libera, one of the young architects of the movement, this building was intended as a large meeting hall for major public events. Mussolini favored symmetry in his modernism, and also called for a new decorative order that would take the form of a Doric column with a rounded capital and a shaft exhibiting the traditional entasis, the slight bulge in the middle of the shaft favored by the Greeks. Libera favored asymmetry and the complete elimination of decoration. In the Congress Hall, he conformed to the demand for symmetry, but dropped the rounded capital from his columns. The concept for the building is quite simple: a low, rectangular base defines the entry and provides the supporting functions. Then a square block rises from the base topped with a cross-vaulted roof that allows light to enter through high clerestory windows. On the eastern edge is a highly sculptural small auditorium that was part of Libera s original design, but after it was destroyed by fire, it was rebuilt and improved by Paulo Portoghesi. Saubaudia.

13 Where there is farmland, there are farmers and the need for towns. As a result, this public works project included the building of five new towns. All five are strung down the middle of the low-lying plain that leads to the sea. The far end is anchored by Saubaudia, which is on the ocean and the most successful of the five towns. The most important building architecturally is the post office by Libera. However, of most importance is the success of the town plan, which abandons the tenants of classical planning with its rigid symmetries and demonstrates it is possible to build a truly modern town based on asymmetrical relationships, and space that flows from one open space to another. You might study the farm inspired mural over the main entrance to the parish church you will find Mussolini helping to harvest the grain. Palazetto della Sport ( ), Pier Luigi Nervi VIA CRISTOFORO COLOMBO 42 Designed by the Italian architect and engineer Pier Luigi Nevi, this is the most important building in the complex built for the 1960 Olympic games. Nervi advocated an approach in which architectural form grew out of the structural concept for the building. This is a near-perfect expression of this concept. The main dome is defined by a series of crossing and radiating ribs of concrete. As they approach the edge of the dome, the ribs converge on a series of equally-spaced points where flying buttresses Chiesa di DioPadre Misericordioso. transfer the loads to the ground. Nervi inserts a clerestory of glass to connect the edge of the dome to the bowl of the seating area. The light flooding in from all sides makes the massive dome appear weightless. NEW BUILDINGS Renzo Piano recently completed a new orchestra hall for Rome, but it is not one of his better buildings. Zaha Hadid is working on a new modern Palazetto della Sport. art museum for the city, but it is not completed yet. The most important new building in Rome is the Millenium Church designed by Richard Meier (above).

14 Chiesa di DioPadre Misericordioso ( ), Richard Meier VIA F. TAVOGLIERI AT LARGO CEVASCO Rome has over four hundred churches, but most of them were built prior to WWII. There were few parish churches in the rapidly growing outlying suburbs of the city. The Vatican recognized this issue and proposed to build fifty new churches. Of these one would become an iconic symbol of the Roman Catholic Church in the new millennium. For this one church the Vatican would sponsor an international invited competition for the assignment. Working with a local architect, they went from a long list, to a short list, to a list of invited competitors to be judged by a group of church elders. One of the underground stories about this competition is that the day the list of invited entries were being assembled and the competition advisor pointed out that none of the finalists were Catholic and three of them were American Jews. In the end, Richard Meier was selected to design the Millennium Church. His solution is based around four solid elements connected by a lacy glass membrane. The backbone of the project is a solid bar to the east, to the west the nave is defined by three free standing curving shells. The glass infill allows each of these four shapes to float in a visually stimulating white space. Stark and sculptural, the building is iconic, it does represent the Catholic Church in the 21st Century but its contrast with the tired and dismal worker housing that surrounds the building is symbolic in a Chiesa di DioPadre Misericordioso. very different way. Directions: From Via Prenestina, about 2 KM west of the Grande Raccordo Anulare (there is an exit off the ring road at this roadway), take Via di Tor Tre Treste south for about 1.2 KM (make sure you stay on this road because it bends around), take Via V.F. Frazzi west, this road will turn into Via Tovaglieri, this road will lead to Largo Cevasco (sounds nice, but Largo Cevasco is just an asphalt parking lot between a number of high rise apartments).

15 TIVOLI Hadrian s Villa (AD ) To escape the heat and malaria in the city, Hadrian built this resort village for the use of his court. As both an emperor and as an architect, he designed the complex to reflect, in small scale, some of the sites he had visited and admired throughout the Empire. This is a ruin worth visiting. In cities such as Pompei and Ostia Antica (the ancient port of Rome near present day Ostia) it is possible to begin to understand daily life in Roman times. But the planning of these towns is a straightforward grid. In Hadrian s Villa it is possible to understand the complexity and richness of Roman urban design. Toward the end of his life, the Emperor became despondent over the death of his gay lover. It is rumored that he slowly sank into insanity, deserted by the court, yet still the most powerful man in the Empire, he wandered the Villa attended by only his personal guard and servants. It is this image of madness amidst immense wealth which is the underlying theme. Visit the Maritime Theater, a circular arcade around a donut shaped pool, which creates a tiny island, and imagine the Emperor alone with his thoughts. When the end came, Hadrian was buried along the Tiber atop a conical hill covered with conifers. The hill rested on a masonry drum and was accessed by a circular ramp running around the inside of the drum. In Hadrian s Villa. medieval times, a castle was built atop the masonry base, and is today Castel Sant Angelo. The circular ramp is still used to reach the castle. Villa d Este ( ), Palace designed by Pirro Ligorio, but most famous for the gardens laid out by Ligorio and Giacomo della Porta Perhaps one of the best know gardens in the world, it combines the traditional formal Italian garden with an amazing array of water events. Built like Hadrian s Villa to escape the heat of the city, the evaporative cooling effect to the water makes this more than a visual success. Villa d Este. Joseph Valerio