Visit the Villa d’Hadrien in Tivoli: tickets, prices, schedules

Are you going to visit Rome? Don’t miss visiting the Villa d’Hadrien! Here is our guide on essential things to know: presentation, tickets, prices and schedules!

Located in the territory of the commune of Tivoli – Tibur at the time of the Roman Empire - in the region of Lazio about thirty kilometers east of Rome . Built in the second century after J-C under the reign of Hadrian (76-138), the Villa d’Hadrien is a set of ancient buildings built at the time when the Roman Empire was at its territorial peak.

When Hadrian was appointed emperor, the empire extended from Scotland to Sahara, from the Carpathians to the Cyrenea (Libya), from the Black Sea in Sudan. The Villa d’Hadrien is considered one of the richest monuments of Antiquity. It is a vast complex of palaces, fountains and baths inspired by Greek and Egyptian architecture.

Do you have any time after your visit to Rome? Give yourself a bonus tour and go to the Villa d’Hadrien! If you like the history of Italy, this site will not fail to awaken your curiosity.

Presentation and history of the Villa d’Hadrien

Hadrian Villa after the fall of the Empire

It will be necessary to wait for the Italian Renaissance so that the humanist Flavio Biondo will find the ruins of it, more than 1,300 years later. In 1870 the Villa d’Hadrien became the property of the Italian state, after its unification. Many archaeological excavations are carried out, which allows the excavation of many relics of the Roman era, including mosaics, stuccoes, and reveal the magnificence of Roman architecture.

While the complex spread over 120 hectares in the second century, only 40 are visible today. The two-thirds of the site remain to be discovered. The current Villa is 1,200 metres from the north to the south and 600 metres from the west. It consists of about thirty buildings: baths, administrative buildings, theatres, squares, walks, gardens and green spaces full of fountains and water plans. According to historians and archaeologists, the Villa d’Hadrien represents all the works, sites and monuments that Emperor Hadrian himself was able to visit during his trips to the conquered territories of Europe, then under Roman domination. In 1999, the site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Monuments list.

What to see and what to do at the Villa d’Hadrien?

If you are fascinated by the history of the Roman Empire and the immense legacy it has left, as the cradle of the current European civilization, then you will probably be interested in visiting the Hadrian Villa in Tivoli. The most visited part is the building named Canope. It is a copy of a sanctuary visited in Alexandria, which contains a huge swimming pool, surrounded by columns decorated with cariatid statues. Continue the visit with the libraries, the baths, the gardens, the water plans, the maritime theatre – built in 118, a “villa in the villa” -, its circular pond surrounded by columns, a small Roman villa on the island in the center of the pond. The 40 hectares of palaces, monuments, columns, gardens and fountains reflect the art and power of the Roman Empire as it was at its peak in the second century of our era. However, the interpretation of the premises and their function is subject to debate and is not unanimous among historians. It is believed that the Villa d’Hadrien has copied the monuments of ancient Greece and Egypt, including the Father, the Academy, the High School, the Prytanus of Athens, the Shrine of Serapis and the canal linking the city of Canope to Alexandria. In fact, only the Canope and the Temple of Serapis are spotable with certainty on the site.

To take full advantage of the visit, don’t miss the Canope, the Pœcile complex, the Piazza d’Oro, the Philosophy room and the Hospitalalia. The Canope is a water plan of 119 meters long for 18 meters wide. He would be a direct tribute from Hadrian to Antinoüs, a favorite and lover of the emperor, who would have died drowned at the age of 20. Not far, find the baths, parallel to the Canope. To the west of the maritime theatre is the Pœcile complex, the largest building in the Villa d’Hadrien. On the highest part of the Villa, go to the terrace of the Academy, an esplanade of more than 200 meters long. In the northeast, you will see the Hospitalia – a set of ten rooms that were dedicated to the elite soldiers of the Pretorian Guard – the room of philosophers and the Imperial Palace. It is assumed that the Villa could accommodate up to 3,000 people: a courtyard, servants, pretorian vigiles. The Villa d’Hadrien, a true city in the city, has left behind an architecture demonstrating a strong social segregation between the different population categories of the Roman society! Historians and archaeologists believe that the inhabitants of the Hadrian Villa, wealthy people, lived in the palace with the emperor, while the courtesies, the soldiers of the pretorian guard and the servants, stayed in less tedious parts, especially in the hospital.

How to go to Hadrian Villa?

To visit the Villa d’Hadrien, you will first have to go to Rome. There are many flights from France to Rome Fiumicino Airport. Compare prices on Ulysses and fly at the lowest cost. For example, Paris-Rome flights return from €60 (for 8 days in September 2019).

We can then visit the Villa d’Hadrien by public transport from the city of Rome. Take Metro B, to the Ponte-Mammolo stop. By bus, Co. Tral, direction Prenestina, takes you to the Villa d’Hadrien, from the Ponte-Mammolo train station and descending to the "Bivio Adriana" stop. You can also go to the Villa d’Hadrien by train, but the solution is even less convenient: the train FS to Tivoli, then the bus CAT (line 4).

If you opted for a trip – and in French! - you'll be taken care of from your hotel in Rome and you will have a private tour guide. If you come for several days or even a week to visit Italy, rent a car to be free (but station to traffic in Rome...) : the Villa d’Hadrien is located south of the city of Tivoli, on the road Via di Villa Adriana.

Prices and times of the Villa d’Hadrien

Schedule

The Villa d’Hadrien is open every day of the year, except December 25 and January 1.

You can visit the Villa d’Hadrien:

• From November to January: from 9am to 5pm,
• In February: from 9am to 6pm,
• From March to October: from 9am to 6:30pm,
• April and September: from 9 am to 7 pm,
• From May to August: from 9am to 7:30pm.

Rates

• Adults : 10 €,
• European Union nationals aged 18 to 25 years: 5 €,
• Less than 18 years old: free.