The park, located at the feet of the city's ancient acropolis was commissioned by Pope Gregory XVI in 1835 to rebuild the bed of the Aniene River, which had been damaged by the flood of 1826. Since ancient times, the river formed a wide curve around the acropolis, after which it fell from a limestone's spur into the plain below. The river formed originally four falls, now reduced to two. The site had a strategical importance since it commanded the transumanza path from Abruzzo along the path which later become the Via Valeria. The Romans had already built here hydraulic manufacts, 12 of which are known by findings today. It had fallen into ruins by the end of the 20th century, but was reopened to the public in 2005 thanks to a major landscape recovery project orchestrated by the FAI, the Italian National Trust.

Villa d'Este is one of the symbols of the Italian Renaissance and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Situated in Tivoli, near Rome, the villa is a gem of architectural and landscape splendor. The extraordinary complex is famous all over the world for its splendid fountains characterized by wonderful and suggestive water displays and for being the most beautiful example of the Italian Renaissance garden in Europe.

Hadrian's Villa (Villa Adriana) in Tivoli bears witness to the grandeur of the Roman Empire. It is one of the best kept and most visited archaeological sites in Italy. This is why it has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999. The villa was built by Roman Emperor Hadrian at the foot of the Tiburtine Hills between 118 and 138 AD. The vast residential complex extended over an area of about 120 hectares (about 300 acres) and looked very much like an ancient Roman city. The site included buildings, baths, temples, barracks, theatres, gardens, fountains and nymphaeums. The villa itself was designed on two levels: the upper floor, quiet and welcoming, was reserved for the emperor's official use, while the lower floor was noisy and bustled with the work of slaves.