Domus Aurea (the Golden House)

Built between the Great Fire of Rome (64 A.D.) and Nero's suicide (68 A.D.), the Domus Aurea covered part of the slopes of Palatine, Esquiline and Caelian Hills. It also included an artificial lake (that is where now stands the Coliseum), groves of trees, pastures and vineyards. The stuccoes that covered the ceilings had semi-precious stones and frescoes covered every surface. The Golden House had some 300 rooms but without any sleeping quarter and the ceiling under the Dome could revolve like heavens thanks to a mechanism maneuvered by slaves. After Nero's death, the Golden House and the surrounding area were filled with earth and built over in order to cancel any trace of Nero's luxury and opulence.  In this area Vespasian built the Flavian Amphitheatre and Trajan his Trajan baths and the temple of Venus and Rome. Thus forgotten for centuries, the Golden House reopened in 1999, having been closed for years for restoration. To be underlined: reservation is compulsory for the visit of this impressive construction.

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by DDragos

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