Oh Hadrian. You egotistical little f#*^ stick! This is not a Villa, this is a giant vacation home…read morewith a spa built as a flex. Located in Tivoli, it's what happens when the most powerful man in the world decides he's tired of the city, craves a countryside retreat, and also wants to recreate the entire known world while he's at it. This spot means I saw this in Egypt and I want one; meets, I got a guy in Turkey; meets, let's throw in a library, several baths, temples, theaters, and enough gardens to make Versailles feel uncomfortable. Emperor Hadrian, the guy behind the project, fancied himself as an architect and travel influencer. Walking through the ruins, you get to see what's left of his vacation compound, crumbling columns, sunken pools, mysterious underground tunnels (because who doesn't want secret tunnels?), and just enough scattered mosaics to make you regret every bathroom tile you've ever installed. While you visit, pretend you are the emperor himself probably sipping wine and ignoring whatever empire-wide crisis was happening that week. Ask yourself this: How many fountains is too many fountains?

Hadrian's villa is a must-see, but be ready to walk because Hadrian created a private city for his…read moresummer getaways. His private swimming pool has an island with columns surrounding the enclave. It is worth the visit just to see it, but there is so much more with layers of history, mosaic floors, and even better, original statues kept on site in a museum from the lovely pool which wasn't uncovered until the 1950s so the best stuff didn't get carted away. I visited years ago and was happy to see on my recent visit that more items have been displayed and is just as fascinating the second time as the first.