Villa Adriana

Built between 118 and 138 AD by the Emperor Hadrian, Villa Adriana and its grounds stretch for nearly 300 acres of lush green countryside near Tivoli, just 28 km from Rome, on the rolling banks of tufa rock that lie at the foot of the Tiburtini hills. About 100 acres of the Villa are currently open to the public. The Villa, which is a Unesco World Heritage Site, includes residential buildings, baths, nymphaea, pavilions and gardens in an unusual layout not found in other villas or domus, imperial or otherwise, a unique testimony to Hadrian’s vision and knowledge. The magnificent architectural decorations and statues of the villa have been the target of looting and misappropriation since the early Middle Ages, with items now scattered through collections in many leading museums in Rome, Italy and the rest of Europe. The Electa bookshop is entirely dedicated to archaeology and to the Villa, with guides for both children and adults, books and other publications, gadgets, posters, postcards and much more. It is located in a pavilion near the entrance.