Quezi

Hadrian's Villa - courtesy marvins_dad - CC-BY

Hadrian’s villa (Villa Adriana) was a sumptious complex of over 30 buildings, covering an area of at least 300 acres. Much of this has yet to be excavated or has been only partially explored by archaeologists. The grounds were filled with full-scale reproductions of the emperor’s favorite buildings from Greece and Egypt.

Hadrian’s Villa was built at modern-day Tivoli as a respite from Rome for Roman Emperor Hadrian who ruled in the early 2nd century. It is said he didn’t care for the ‘official’ imperial residence of the Palatine Hill inside Rome. This decision was likely influenced by the miserable relations he had with the senate and the local Roman aristocracy. Hadrian was born in Spain, just as predecessor Trajan, and the Senate, as well as the local aristocracy had trouble coming to terms with another provincial on the throne. During the last years of his rule, he governed the empire from the villa. A large number of retainers and court nobility lived there permanently.

One of the best preserved parts of the Villa are a pool and an artificial grotto which were named Canopus and Serapeum. Also another interesting structure in the Villa is the “Maritime Theater”. It is a round portico with a vault supported by columns. Inside this enclosure was a ring-shaped pool with a central island. The island was connected to the portico by two drawbridges. On the island was a small Roman house complete with, atrium, library, triclinium and baths. The house was the emperors private escape from the pressures of the court.

Below much of the complex there is a series of underground roads, passages, storage facilities and slave quarters. Most of the infrastructure needed to run such a huge complex was neatly hidden away.

Hadrian was also the builder of the Roman Pantheon. A postal service connected them to Rome.

Hadrian’s Villa is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  The Academy of the Villa was placed on the 100 Most Endangered Sites 2006 list of the World Monuments Watch because of the rapid deterioration of the ruins.

For more information about ancient Rome