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The Domus Aurea... Nero's Golden House
One of Rome's latest attractions is also one of its most ancient. The
Domus Aurea... Golden House of Nero, or what remains of it, has been under
excavation for several decades and the ruins are now available for public
viewing. Originally rediscovered during the Renaissance, the Domus Aurea has
more recently been the object of a massive restoration project which was
completed near the end of the 20th century.
Constructed in 64 AD after the great fire that burned two-thirds of Rome
(the one during which, as legend goes, Nero fiddled), the Golden House is an
archaeological treasure trove. The halls were once adorned with gold foil,
their ceilings festooned with ivory and jewels by the extravagant emperor.
In its day, the original palace and outlying structures covered 350
acres that included a man-made lake, the imperial vineyards, and the house
itself. Of course, to call this villa a house is the height of understatement.
It contained 300 rooms, but is thought to have had no sleeping quarters. Given
the excessive banqueting and revelry for which Nero was famed, many a guest no
doubt passed out where they lounged during the parties, so actual bedrooms
might have been redundant.
The golden house was the original site of the huge statue Nero
commissioned, of himself of course, which now stands outside the Colosseum.
Today, only its bronze base remains.
Though much has been destroyed down through the centuries, enough
artifacts of archeological interest remain to fascinate tourists and Roman
history buffs alike. And for high season travelers, it’s a great spot to spend
a cool hour or two out of Rome’s mid-summer heat. The underground tour
encompasses a wide range of displays. Some areas are in shadowed ruins, their
carvings barely visible. Others boast magnificent, fully restored gold and
marble walls with largely intact paintings and fireplaces.
The most impressive reconstruction is of Nero’s Octagon Room. The
emperor was a great fan of Greek art, and the Octagon Room housed a great
collection which included the statue of the Dying Gaul, the original of which
now resides in the Pallazo Altemps museum. You will be guided through some
enormous frescoed vaults, and many rooms worth exploring. The frescoes painted
by Fabullus, a noted artist of the period, are in the style popular in Pompeii
and Herculaneum, the doomed cities consumed by Vesuvius to the south of Rome.
When the Domus Aureus first came to light during the Renaissance, master
artists including Raphael and Michelangelo visited the uncovered frescoes and
utilized them as inspiration in their own developing styles. At that time, the
rediscovery of classic Greek and Roman art from antiquity was a catalyst for
much of the phenomenal work that emerged in the Renaissance period, in
particular the (then) new realism of the human form. Both Raphael and
Michelangelo left their signatures scratched in the frescoed walls, to be
later joined by such luminaries as Casanova and the Marquis de Sade.
Enjoy your visit to the Domus Aurea, Nero’s Golden House, with its
wonderful frescoes and charming grottos. Imagine yourself a Roman patrician,
privileged guest at the Emperor’s table. Picture the over-indulgence and
excess… (most of us in the 21st century can do that.) Then walk it off with a
leisurely stroll through the grounds and beautiful gardens.
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