Villa Adriana (Hadrian's Villa) was created as a retreat from nearby Rome for Emperor Hadrian in the early 2nd century.
It was the greatest Roman example of an Alexandrian garden, recreating a sacred landscape. In the 16th century Cardinal Ippolito II d'Este had much of the marble and statues in Hadrian's villa removed to decorate his own luxurious retreat.
Villa d'Este features a series of unique waterfalls and is a masterpiece of Italian architecture and garden design.