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Domus Aurea
Hidden beneath Vle della Domus Aurea where you stand now, Nero's three-story palace had a rotating ceiling that spun like a massive wheel, raining rose petals on guests. This 300-room complex sprawled 50 hectares after the 64 AD fire—but Nero enjoyed it only four years before his suicide in 68. His successors buried it under Trajan's baths to erase his memory, accidentally preserving the vibrant frescoes inside. That colossal statue of Nero? It became the Colosseum's namesake.
Did You Know?
- After the Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD, Emperor Nero seized the opportunity to build the Domus Aurea—a sprawling palace complex covering over 80 hectares (about 200 acres) in the heart of Rome, complete with gardens, fountains, an artificial lake, and even a 120-foot-tall gilded bronze statue of himself at the entrance. The palace’s sheer scale and opulence made it a symbol of imperial excess and led to widespread criticism, as entire neighborhoods were demolished to make way for Nero’s dream, sparking public outrage and contributing to his eventual downfall.
- The Domus Aurea was a marvel of Roman architecture and art, featuring over 300 lavishly decorated rooms with walls and ceilings covered in vibrant frescoes depicting mythological scenes and everyday life. Many of these paintings were rediscovered in the Renaissance, inspiring a new artistic style called 'grottesca' (grotesque), named after the grotto-like underground rooms where they were found—a term still used in art history today. The palace also included innovative features like a rotating dining room and a cryptoporticus (a long, covered corridor), showcasing advanced Roman engineering.
- The Domus Aurea didn’t last long as Nero’s private paradise—after his death in 68 AD, his successors tried to erase his memory by stripping the palace of its treasures, filling in the artificial lake to build the Colosseum, and burying much of the complex under new public buildings like the Baths of Trajan. For centuries, the palace remained hidden underground until it was accidentally rediscovered in the 15th century, sparking excitement among Renaissance artists like Raphael and Michelangelo, who descended into the ruins to study the ancient paintings, making the Domus Aurea a key link between ancient and Renaissance art.