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Domus Aurea - The Golden House of Emperor Nero |
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Written by Jill Kammer
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Tuesday, 17 June 2008 |
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Recently an important attraction in Rome was opened for public viewing again. While the Golden House of Nero is not at its full splendor, it has been carefully restored. It was during the Renaissance that these ruins were found. But a huge project to restore them was carried out at the end of the last century.
by JillKammer
Recently an important attraction in Rome was opened for public viewing again. While the Golden House of Nero is not at its full splendor, it has been carefully restored. It was during the Renaissance that these ruins were found. But a huge project to restore them was carried out at the end of the last century.
Everybody knows that Nero fiddled while Rome burned. The Golden House of Nero was built in 64 AD after that huge disaster and it is filled with amazing finds. Nero spared no expense on himself using gold plating liberally and filling the ceiling with precious stones to honor himself. Sadly, these riches cannot be viewed if you go there. Looters had their way with the Golden House of Nero not long after the decadent ruler passed away.
Nero's opulent home actually covered a huge 350 acre grounds which boasted fine vineyards and a lake made just for him. But something unusual about this "home" of Nero's is that there were no bedrooms in any of the 300 rooms. This is not to say that during those wild orgies we know about, many didn't just fall in a stupor all around the house and grounds.
One of the most striking features of the palace at the time was the 40m (130ft) high bronze likeness Nero had done to honor himself. This amazing art work is still on display outside the Colosseum.
Time has taken its toll on the Palace of Nero, but it's still worth taking a few hours to go on the audio tour that is offered. It's a fascinating and satisfying tour and if you are in Rome in the fall, the city is friendly and the weather perfect.
One of the best tours of the Palace of Nero is audio guided, and you will go underground to see the huge vaults and rooms covered with amazing artwork. The world famous artist Fabullus did a lot of the frescoes of the house using a very popular style he learned in Pompeii, that ultimately doomed city.
For us, the artist Fabullus may not be well known, but great artists such as Michelangelo and Raphael were inspired by him, and those that saw his work at the Golden House of Nero left their names etched into the walls. Names like Casanova and the Marquis de Sade can also be found there if you look for them.
The tour will open your eyes to another world as you see ruins still not fully restored, hiding amazing ancient art works. But when you see rooms that look like they did during Nero's time, the artwork and luxurious design will take your breath away.
You will get to see a diverse assortment of grottos in the underground tour. But when you see the Octagon room, prepare to be impressed. Nero's obsession with Greek art was easy to witness in this room, which originally held a statue of the Dying Gaul, and is now at the Pallazzo Altemps museum.
You can conclude your tour with a view of the lush gardens. And don't miss seeing a replica of the original octagonal room. It will help you feel what life in the ancient Golden House of Nero must have been like so long ago.
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