The villa is one of the finest remnants of Renaissance culture in the Lazio region, perhaps even in all of Italy. The gardens, however, are conceivably more magnificent. The property is a masterpiece any time of the year, and although my visit was in the cold months of January, made crisper by the villa’s high vantage point in the Lazio hills, it’s momentousness was not lost on anyone. Hundreds of fountains and waterfalls, primordial terracotta pots, layers of terraces, and perfectly manicured shrubbery make up this UNESCO heritage sight. I can only imagine it’s splendor in the warmer months when the sky is that superlative Lazio blue that I have come to know in Rome, and when the greenery and fiori are at their brightest. This extraordinarily laid out garden, began in the 16th century, exemplifies the ancient Roman’s fine engineering skills, and the contemporary importance of maintaining archaic grandeur.