Villa d'Este, located in Tivoli, near Rome, Italy, is a Renaissance masterpiece and a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its opulent garden, fountains, and terraces. Cardinal Ippolito II d'Este, who became governor of Tivoli in 1550, commissioned the villa. Villa d'Este was built on the ruins of a Roman villa, and the design was conceived by architect Pirro Ligorio with the sumptuous gardens and fountains added under the direction of Tommaso Ghinucci, who orchestrated the hydraulic system. One of the villa's most famous features is the Fountain of the Four Rivers, with its sculptures representing the Nile, Ganges, Danube, and Rio de la Plata. Visitors can explore the villa's rooms adorned with frescoes, but the gardens are the main attraction, characterized by their elaborate water features, and influenced later garden design throughout Europe. The use of water in the garden architecture especially is an expression of the Renaissance arrival of the 'paradise garden', symbolizing the garden of Eden.
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