The Grand Tour and Villa Gregoriana

"Villa Gregoriana" Park is located on the left side of the great fall of the Aniene river, in the so-called "Baratri Tiburtini" (precipices of Tivoli) just underneath the acropolis of Tivoli, overlooked by the famous temples of Vesta and of the Sybil. These, even if just outside the perimeter of the Villa, can be considered, without any doubt, among the archaeological patrimony of the Park. The importance of the place, dating back to the ancient times, is testified by several literary citations among which, the lines from the Horace's "Odes" and the verses of the Statius' "Sylvae" describing Manlio Vopisco's roman villa, which remains are inside "Villa Gregoriana" Park. Many pictorial representations of the Acropolis' cliff, with the temples and the Aniene's waterfall testify to the importance of the place that never decreased, reaching its height between the eighteenth and the nineteenth century. In this period, in fact, the place became a privileged and obliged destination of many Grand Tour travellers. In 1706, Addison noted that "painters often came to Tivoli from Rome to study the Tivoli landscape".

A beatifull view of Villa Gregoriana

We can't forget, in fact, that the landscapists Claude Lorrain and Poussin studied it drawing inspiration for their works. The poet Thomas Gray was impressed by the power of the great fall. Likewise, we can't fail to mention Honoré Fragonard (1732 - 1806), who having won the annual competition "Prix de Rome" in 1752, stayed in "Villa d'Este" (Tivoli) for three months, as a guest of the Abbot Richard de Saint-Non, studying the magnificent landscape. In 1760 he made wonderful drawings while in Tivoli, among which, "the Temple of Sybil", a sanguine on light traces of black pencil. Still we would like to mention another famous visitor and artist: John "Warwich" Smith (1749 - 1831) one of the most admired watercolorist of the time, of which we remember "The Mecenate's Villa of Tivoli" painted around 1776-81. Also Louis Ducros (1748-1810) and many others.