This page contains a distant view of Tivoli seen from the road skirting the end of the valley to the north-east. Turner’s viewpoint appears to be the Convent of Sant’Antonio, also known the Villa d’Orazio (Villa of Horace).
1 Monte Catillo rises on the left-hand side of the prospect, whilst visible in the centre is the so-called Temple of Vesta, a circular ruin dating from the first century BC, which stands on the edge of the gorge at the northern edge of the town, near the former falling point of the ‘Great Cascade’ of the River Aniene. Silhouetted against the horizon to the right meanwhile are the campanile of the Cathedral (Duomo) San Lorenzo, and a medieval watch-tower positioned above the falls of the
cascatelli (or
cascatelle), the lesser cascades. In the far distance to the west is the flat plain of the Roman Campagna. Similar vistas from the end of the valley can be seen on folios 2, 18, 22, 34, 35, 78, 80 (
D15468,
D15484,
D15488,
D15501,
D15502,
D15550,
D15552), as well as the
Tivoli and Rome sketchbook (Tate
D15000–D15005 and
D15092; Turner Bequest 40–42 verso and 86a), and in a watercolour study in the
Naples: Rome C. Studies sketchbook (Tate
D16116; Turner Bequest CLXXXVII 28). Like many drawings within this sketchbook, the composition has been executed over a washed grey background.