| Emporer Nero's Golden House -
Domus Aurea in Rome
If you are looking for a fascinating attraction in Rome, the
ancient ruins of the Golden House of Nero have just recently
been opened after years of being excavated and restored. This
is great news because even though the house was found during
the Renaissance period, it took a big recovery effort in the
1990s to finally make it available.
History tells us that after that famous burning of Rome as
Nero fiddled, this magnificent structure was built. When archaeologists
discovered it, they learned that in its glory, much of the
interior was covered with gold, and gorgeous jewels and ivory
were inlaid in the ceiling. But you won't see those treasures
because they were stripped from the house after Nero died.
Some trivia is that the palace covered over 300 acres which
included a private lake and rich crops and the extravagant
house. However, the palace was not really a home like we think
of it because even though it had hundreds of rooms, it had
no bedrooms. This is not to say that many times people didn't
just pass out and sleep there during Nero's wild parties.
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 but there is a lot of
great things to see when you visit the house. Not only is seeing
the Palace a delight but Rome is such a delightful and welcoming
city. And in Rome often the weather is as delightful as the
sights.
A great way to take in this ancient structure is through the
guided underground tour that goes lets you view the amazing
paintings in the vaults and rooms. This is a rare chance to
see artwork done by the famous artist Fabullus who used the
Pompeii artistic style.
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.
You won't get bored on your tour - you will see some rooms
in ruins where it's difficult to see the artwork. Then around
the next corner you will be greeted by beautifully restored
rooms, their walls glistening with stunning art and gold and
marble ornaments as striking as when Nero admired them.
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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