The Goddess and Public History

Villa d'Este is a 16th-century villa in Tivoli, close to Rome. It is famous for its hillside Italian Renaissance garden which is filled with unique terraces and fountains. It is rich with history, artwork, and statues that reflect mythology, and one of the features is a beautiful waterfall statue of the goddess Diana, modeled after Diana of Ephesus. The statue was created in 1565-1572 . Formerly located on the facade of the Organ Fountain, and moved in 1611 to the north end of the central north-south axis. This venue is an Italian state museum and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A Report from this Sacred Site

"Symbolizing the unstoppable flow of life, this statue by Giglio della Vellita, is not your standard nymph in the garden. This Diana is the universal mother, supplying substance to all, and evidence of her influence occurs in the 7th century BC. Her sacred temple at Ephesus, a Greek city built in the 10th century BC and now in modern Turkey, was rebuilt many times. Under the Greeks, it was the Temple of Artemis (the Greek name for the goddess the Romans named Diana), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. A fascination with Greek and Roman roots inspired Renaissance sculptors and we can thank Giglio for this link between our world, the Renaissance, and the ancients."

-Barbara Ruys, The Fountain of Nature – Symbol of Abundance, The Quiet Garden

Sources

Artstor. n.d. "Artstor." Library.artstor.org. Accessed August 23, 2022. https://library.artstor.org/asset/HUCB_SHARE_109913124454..

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Goldberg, Vicki. 1994. "In Search of Diana of Ephesus." The New York Times, August 21, 1994, sec. Arts. https://www.nytimes.com/1994/08/21/arts/in-search-of-diana-of-ephesus.html.

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Ruys, Barbara. 2014. "The Fountain of Nature – Symbol of Abundance." The Quiet Garden. November 4, 2014. https://www.thequietgarden.com/the-fountain-of-nature-the-symbol-of-abundance/.

"Tivoli Gardens Travel Guide, Best Tips for Holiday in Italy." n.d. Tour Italy Now. Accessed August 23, 2022. https://www.touritalynow.com/italy-travel-guide/rome/tivoli-gardens.

Mother Diana - Trivoli

This Goddess Diana Waterfall Statue in Trivoli Emulates the Nurturance of the Ancient Diana of Ephesus

Photo Credit: AlexisDC/Depositphotos.com

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Mother Diana - Trivoli

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