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

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

Designed by architects Severus and Celer and decorated by painter Fabullus, thevilla consisted of several separate buildings as well as woods and gardens. In the area of the domus aurea there were also hot, thermal, sulfur and other water pools. Numerous rooms for parties and banquets, to go along with the lavish life of Emperor Nero. The most famous of these rooms was the coenatio rotunda, a hall that, thanks to remarkable architectural and engineering solutions, rotated on itself. Also impressive was the huge vestibule that housed a colossal statue of the emperor in the guise of the Sun god. The octagonal hall of the domus features architecture from curvilinear rhythms and is covered by a dome with a large central dormer that let in light; a style that anticipates the broken-line architecture of the 20th century.

The domus aurea was characterized by rich decoration, geometric patterns in stucco and painting, and interesting figurative images. The decorations of the domus aurea were extremely rich and incredible: there were ceilings plastered and set with semi-precious stones and ivory foils, not to mention vast gold coverings. This gives us insight into the choice of the dwelling’s name, 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 that time 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 very large area of Rome where the luxury and grandeur of the building was accompanied by magnificent gardens, vineyards, and wooded spaces. In the valley between the hills there was also a semi-artificial pond where later, the Colosseum was built. The domus aurea is one of the most fascinating historical sites in the world.