Domus Aurea

The Domus Aurea, or “Golden House,” was one of Emperor Nero’s most ambitious and controversial projects. Built after the devastating fire of Rome in 64 AD, the Domus Aurea represents the peak of opulence and luxury in ancient Rome. Nero decided to construct this urban villa, not so much to live in it, but as a demonstration of power and magnificence. The residence covered an area of about 80 hectares, extending between the Palatine, Esquiline, and Caelian hills, including gardens, pavilions, an artificial lake, and even forests. The project of the Domus Aurea was entrusted to the architects Celer and Severus, who created a series of buildings and structures perfectly integrated with the surrounding landscape. The villa was famous for its abundant use of gold, gems, and precious marbles. Suetonius, one of the historians of the time, describes the Domus Aurea as a place where dining rooms had movable ivory ceilings, to allow flowers and perfumes to fall on the guests, and where seawater flowed in the baths. The main entrance to the villa was through an imposing vestibule, dominated by a colossal statue of Nero about 35 meters high, reminiscent of the Colossus of Rhodes. This statue, created by the artist Zenodorus, became so iconic that the nearby Flavian Amphitheatre began to be known as the Colosseum in its honor. Nero was known for his megalomania and desire to amaze and impress, and the Domus Aurea was the purest expression of this ambition. However, the construction of the villa was made possible by stripping the temples of Rome and the provinces, increasing the hostility of the Roman citizens towards him. This feeling of hatred towards Nero and his Domus Aurea was reflected in the works of contemporary historians such as Tacitus and Suetonius, who emphasized the people’s contempt for such excesses. After Nero’s death in 68 AD, the Domus Aurea was considered a symbol of tyranny and was progressively demolished and buried by subsequent emperors. Vespasian drained the artificial lake and began the construction of the Colosseum on the site, symbolizing a return to a more popular and less personal architecture. The Baths of Titus and the Baths of Trajan were built over the ruins of the Domus, contributing to its disappearance from the visible landscape of Rome. Despite its brief existence, the Domus Aurea deeply influenced Roman and Renaissance architecture. Its rediscovery in the 15th century, when some artists accidentally fell into one of its underground rooms, led to the spread of the “grotesque” style in the Renaissance. Artists like Raphael and Michelangelo descended into the rooms of the Domus to study the frescoes, and the decorations they saw there inspired many of their later works. In recent years, the Domus Aurea has been the subject of intense restoration work, which has allowed for the recovery and preservation of many of its original structures and decorations. Guided tours of the site allow visitors to admire the frescoes and underground spaces, offering a fascinating journey through time in one of the most extraordinary places of ancient Rome. One of the most famous episodes related to the Domus Aurea concerns the banquet offered by Nero to the Armenian king Tiridates I. After a lavish coronation ceremony in the Roman Forum, Tiridates was invited to the Domus Aurea, where he was welcomed with a luxurious banquet that included performances and celebrations. This event, described by Cassius Dio, highlights the use of the villa as a stage for imperial propaganda and to impress foreign visitors.