Lazio, the Latin heartland
The Fontana dell'Ovato (“Oval Fountain”), when it flows, cascades from its egg-shaped basin into a pool set against a rustic nymphaeum in the gardens of the Villa d'Este in Tivoli. The Villa d'Este was commissioned by Cardinal Ippolito II d'Este who drew inspiration, many statues and much of the marble used for construction from nearby Villa Adriana, the retreat of Emperor Hadrian; reviving Roman techniques of hydraulic engineering to supply water to the fountains, the cardinal created a fantasy garden in the 16th century.
Photo by Ludo Kuipers, Mon Nov 07, 1994