In 64 AD a great fire devastated Rome and destroyed the residence of the Roman emperor Nero (domus transitoria). This tragic event caused about 80 hectares of land to be expropriated in order to build a new structure on the site, an urban villa that would become Emperor Nero's residence. The area extended stretched between the Palatine, the Caelian and the Esquiline. Nero's new residence took the name 'domus aurea', literally 'house of gold'. Later it would not be difficult to understand why.

Constructed of brick and not marble as we sometimes tend to believe, the construction of this villa achieved particularly daring and innovative architectural solutions.

Designed by architects Severus e Celer and decorated by the painter Fabullus, lhe villa consisted of numerous separate buildings, as well as woods and gardens. In the area of the Domus Aurea there were also hot, thermal, sulphurous and other pools. There were numerous rooms for feasts and banquets, to cater for the opulent life of Emperor Nero. The most famous of these rooms was the coenatio rotundaa hall that, thanks to remarkable architectural and engineering solutions, rotated on itself. Also impressive was the enormous vestibule that housed a colossal statue of the emperor in the guise of the Sun god. The octagonal hall of the domus is characterised by an architecture of curvilinear rhythms and is covered by a dome with a large central dormer window that let in light; a style that anticipates the broken-line architecture of the 20th century.

The Domus aurea was characterised by rich decorations, geometric motifs in stucco and paint, and interesting figurative images. The decorations of the domus aurea were rich and incredible: there were ceilings stuccoed and set with semi-precious stones and ivory sheets, not to mention extensive gold panelling. This makes us understand the choice of the name of the dwelling, which could not but be 'house of gold'.

Another architectural innovation of this residence was the particular choice of placing mosaics on the vaulted ceilings: normally until then, mosaics were placed on the floors and never on the ceilings. Later, this technique was adopted by Christian art to decorate the many churches that were later built in the city of Rome.

The domus aurea covered a vast area of Rome where the luxury and grandeur of the building was accompanied by magnificent gardens, vineyards and wooded areas. In the valley between the hills there was also a semi-artificial lake where the Colosseum was later built. The Domus Aurea is one of the most fascinating historical sites in the world.

What remains of the Domus Aurea today?

When Emperor Nero died, there was a strong desire to erase all traces of his existence and work. This was also the case for the domus aurea and the entire site. The grounds of the residence were plundered, the rich halls of the villa were stripped of their riches, the gold and precious stone coverings, the sculptures, and filled with earth up to the vaults so that the whole site could be built on. In fact, the Baths of Titus, the Flavian Amphitheatre, the Baths of Trajan and the Temple of Venus would later be built in that area. In about forty years, the domus aurea was completely covered with earth and buried by the new buildings. This preserved the paintings and decorations on the walls from the elements, however, and they survived almost intact until the 15th century, when they were rediscovered, becoming a place of great curiosity for various artists. Now the frescoes are unfortunately very deteriorated and we can only partially enjoy them, imagining their colours. The parts of the Domus aurea that can be visited today are probably the areas that were once used for feasts and banquets and were rediscovered from underground during the Renaissance. Artists such as Pinturicchio, Ghirlandaio, Raphael and Giulio Romano began to descend into those 'underground caves' from above, to discover and study the painting techniques of Romanesque art. Think what an explosion of emotions the rediscovery of that ancient and peculiar world may have been during the Renaissance. Painters would descend underground to discover works that had been covered with earth to construct other buildings. The painting technique born from these studies rhe takes the motifs of these decorations and reinterprets them, and is still called 'grotesque painting' today.

Today the Domus Aurea is part of the Colosseum Archaeological Park. A visit to the Domus aurea, for which we recommend a reservation, is a real journey back in time, discovering the life of Emperor Nero, the pageantry and luxury. The remains of the Domus Aurea have been made even more interesting and usable thanks to the Domus Area Experience, multimedia interventions designed to allow visitors to fully experience the Domus Aurea. We recommend booking a guided tour of the Domus Aurea.