I love exploring towns during the morning hours.  That is the time of the day when the local marketplaces are full of people, buying the items that they need for the day.  There seems to be a sort of peacefulness surrounding everything that is happening.  No one is really rushing anywhere, confident that even while taking their time, whatever it is that needs to be done, will get done!  And, if it doesn’t, there is always tomorrow!  It is a much healthier way of life, very unlike the frantic rushing to and fro that life in a city like New York takes on!Dating from the 12th century, the Chiesa di San Michele Arcangelo was closed right after World War II.  Whatever artwork remains is now locked behind closed doors, and one can only imagine what the simple, yet elegant facade contains.  Tivoli’s market is held in Piazza Plebiscito.  Here, you will find vendors selling fresh flowers, fruits, and vegetables.  At the end of the same piazza, you will find the Chiesa di San Biagio, which dates back to the end of the 1300’s.  Tradition has it that when building a house or building, any fragments from antiquity that you unearth should be incorporated into the facade of the structure that you are building.  Examples of this are everywhere!A plaque on a wall commemorates Don Nello del Raso, a priest who, in 1945, aided the poor children of the city by founding the Villaggio Don Bosco, which is still functioning today.Piazza Rivarola is another of the town’s popular squares.  Because of its location, at the foot of Ponte Gregoriano, which you must cross in order to access the town’s train station, pretty much everyone who comes to Tivoli passes through here, at some point.  Dating from 1834, the Ponte Gregoriano is a magnificent example of the architecture of that time.  The bridge was completely destroyed by the Germans during World War II, but was painstakingly restored from the original rubble!  The views from the bridge are wonderful, but a word of warning — Never forget, while you are trying to take those selfies, that this is a functioning bridge, and there is traffic on it!A short distance away are the remains of an ancient Roman bridge.  After crossing the bridge, you will find yourself at a small traffic-island-like park.  Cut through here, and you will find yourself on Viale Mazzini, which is where our first stop of the day was located!  Our first stop of the day was the Parco della Vestale Cossinia, or the Park of the Vestal Virgin Cossinia.  The park takes its name from the tomb of a Roman Vestal Cossinia who, at the time of her death, in the early 1st century A.D., was buried in her home town, Tivoli, along the banks of the Aniene River.  The tomb was not discovered until 1929, and has recently been restored, and the park area cleaned up.  It is now open to the public, and admission is free.  I highly urge anyone visiting Tivoli to take the time and visit this lovely spot.  Once in the park, simply take the steps down to the tomb.  It is worth the small effort it takes!  

Next up: The amazing Villa Gregoriana!

Note: This blog is written in English and Spanish, and the author takes no responsibility for the quality of any other translations which may appear.  If you have enjoyed this post, please, check out our archives for more posts from Tivoli, as well as other Italian destinations.  Grazie!