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Domus Aurea |
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written
by Lesley Everett / 07.12.2004 |
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Site Location |
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Domus Aurea is located in the heart of the capital, constructed in the midst of the area which was devastated by the A.D. 64 fire. (To give you an idea of how centrally located the palace was, Vespasian constructed the Colosseum in one of the lakes in Nero's estate). Four-fifths of Rome was devastated by the fire, including many of the commercial districts over which the palace was built. The original palace occupied three of the seven famous hills of Rome, extending from the Palatine Hill to the Oppian at the foot of the Celian.
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Site History |
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Nero was the last of the Julio-Claudians, the dynasty founded by Augustus. He was an unpopular emperor because he confiscated property from the wealthy, and he was also suspected to have intentionally started the Great Fire that destroyed the center of Rome in A.D. 64. Although this claim was proven untrue, it didn’t help Nero’s cause when he immediately constructed his Golden House and extensive gardens in the burnt out area.
The construction of the Domus Aurea (the Golden House) was considered as one of the most crazy enterprises of the city. The palace has been called the largest and richest residence ever built, and it’s even said to have been 25 times larger than the Colosseum! A revolutionary masterpiece, the Domus Aurea marked the first use of concrete as the building material of choice for fine architecture. Nero’s architects created innovative (for the time) open spaces and vaults, breaking away from traditional Greek architectural design. The interior is "rich in walls covered with frescos, gold, gemstones, and mother-of-pearl, and ceilings tiled in ivory, with openings for creating a shower of flowers and perfumes." The stucco-work and paintings provided the inspiration for the Renaissance style known as "grotesque."
Nero enjoyed the countryside and park-like sceneries, so he included vast parks and gardens around the palace. "Vineyards, orchards, vegetable gardens and parks, pastures and forests with grazing herds and animals appeared around the palace.." to appease his every whim. All in all, the original structure and lavish gardens spanned over 200 acres! After Nero's death, his successors attempted to eradicate his memory and eliminate every possible trace of his residence. They stripped the palace of its fine marble and artwork, demolished and buried parts of the building, and even built structures like the Colosseum up around it to better their standings and popularity. Today, the Esquiline Wing of the Golden House is virtually all that remains- it's been renovated and recently reopened to the public and there are still 32 different rooms to explore.
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Elements of Interest |
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- "The most important part of the palace was a large rectangle at the Oppius hill where the four corner parts covered the four districts. The eastern wing was used for public receptions. The western wing was the house of Nero. It was said that it had a round dining-room, which turned around day and night, inspired by the revolutions of the earth."
- Near the entrance of the Domus Aurea stood a gigantic statue of Nero, called the Colossus Neronis. Carved by the Greek Zenodoros, it was a bronze statue that stood over 37 meters high! The statue was considered a monstrosity by most; it was built in imitation of the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. After Nero’s rule, several other emperors replaced the head on the colossus with their own until Hadrian moved it to the Amphitheatrum Flavium. This building took the name Colosseum in the Middle Ages, so called after the statue outside of it. The name stuck and has been used ever since.
- To decorate his new palace, Nero had the finest painter in Rome imprisoned in it.
- Within 60 years of its construction, the Golden House had been stripped bare of its fine marble, and was demolished or buried by later emperors who legitimized their own rule by destroying Nero's works or made use of his buildings as the foundations for their own.
- The ceiling of the banquet halls had sliding ivory panels so that flowers and perfumes could be sprayed onto the diners.
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Analyze Image |
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| Domus Aurea- painting |
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| What Domus Aurea might have looked like |
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The first picture here, the painting of Domus Aurea ruins, shows the spreading, park-like sprawl of the palace and its former gardens. The artist included many trees, rolling grassy hills, and people strolling through the park. The palace is shown mainly in ruins here- presumably after Nero's death but before the majority of the land was taken over and built upon. The painting captures the grandiose size and structure of the palace, though, and creates a very impressive image.
The second picture isn't actually of Domus Aurea, but rather what the palace halls are thought to have looked like. The remains of the palace are filled with high, arching hallways that were once covered in gold, murals, and gems. Nero's palace was known for its innovative use of octagons, arches, and open spaces.
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Site Questions |
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At what point did the Romans and the emperors decide to stop destroying Nero's palace and instead preserve it? What caused this change, and was it too late? Is the remaining part of the palace in decent enough shape and structure to be maintained indefinitely?
What was all the space in the palace used for? I read that only one wing was residential and that another was for formal get-togethers, but what other things were built in the palace and why? How many people lived there, and how many were needed to maintain it?
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