Nero’s Domus Aurea ***

In AD 64-68, the nasty dictatorial Emperor Nero built himself this pleasure palace on the ruins of the city he burned down. Nice guy! He employed the architect Severus and the painter Fabullus. The huge expanse of connected vaulted chambers that is now underground was the ground level of the palace; a second level was destroyed by subsequent emperors. Nero's private artifical lake was removed to make way for the nearby Colosseum. The lower level was filled by sand and used as the foundation for a subsequent palace.

In the mid 1490's some holes opened up in the ground of a park, and Renaissance artists, amongst the first of them Pinturricchio, crawled down into these "grottoes" and observed their colorful, unusual frescoes, which they named "grotesques". These were the inspiration for the grotesques that cover so many square miles of ceiling and wall space in the Renaissance, and is particularly interesting to me since I study decorative complexes. Grotesques vary depending on the period (both in Roman and Renaissance times) but is characterized by an impossible, fantastic combination of creatures that titillated artistic minds.

I was last at the Domus Aurea on a special visit in 1997 before the restoration was completed (it was opened to the public in 1999). Now you are lead through (tour or not) well-lit spaces and instructed to stop and look at the important parts. This is not badly done; i did not feel the need to stray from the group.

The Domus Aurea is definately worth the visit for anyone interested in Renaissance art (not to mention Ancient Roman!), though for fullest appreciation it requires some preparation - it helps to know something about ancient wall painting, so you might consider reading up (see reading recommendations on this page). As an instance of ancient architecture it is a bit confusing because it is a partial structure (remember one floor was destroyed) and also only partially excavated. Study the map, but don't try to orient youreslf. As for the frescoes, you need to imagine what this would have been like for those who crawled through in the fifteenth century -- the frescoes were brilliantly coloured in reds and orchres (having not been exposed to oxygen for 1450 years) and must have been like nothing ever seen before. The effect would have been amazingly colourful and sumptuous. Imagine the excitement! To get an idea of what these were like, there is an informative panel in colour at the entrance to the site. You should also go see the contemporary frescoes from the house of Livia at Palazzo Massimo (see below).

Book your entry in advance, either in person or via the phone number on the site (the day before is fine). Guided tour by a young art historian costs extra but is probably worth it unless you have a very detailed guidebook.
5E general entry plus small tour fee.

Official site

The best book on roman painting is: Robert Ling: Roman Painting

The Coloseum was inaugurated by Titus (AD 80) to hold bloody things like gladiator combats and public executions. Surely the stands for 70,000 people could hardly hold the excited crowds. It apparently had a special drainage system for blood, but I don't know if that's just rumor. Word has it that it's not really worth the 8 euro entry fee so I didn't go inside.

Nearby, in the direction of the forum, you can see the arch of Constantine, dated to AD 315, a highlight of the late classical period, illustrating battles in a non-naturalistic way.

At the end of my street!

official site

Temples at Largo Argentina

 Official site

Many busses stop here and people seem to walk by without noticing the ruins in the piazza, which were discovered by chance in 1926 when they were "modernizing" this area.

Palazzo Massimo alle Terme (Museo Nazionale)

This museum contains some of the highest quality Roman art brought to light by 19th and 20th century excavations. The biggest highlights are the frescoes and mosaics (three photos including a detail of seashell mosaic) displayed on the second floor, for which you are given a specific entry time. The detached frescoes from the private apartments of Augustus’ wife are a wonderful example of second pompeian style. On the first floor, good bilingual wall text leads you through sculpture arranged by theme. If you can read italian, there is an initiative directed at children that is informative and perceptive. It tells really fun stories in the first person about some of the more important works.

Unfortunately, the visit to the second floor is compulsorily by guided tour, and you are given only 40 minutes to see it all. As you can imagine, in this time you SEE nothing, you only barely have time to glance. The tour guide is surely knowledgeable but only has time for the most basic of information, given first in quick italian and then in incomprehensibly accented but strangely fluent english. There are superb wall texts, if only you had time to read them.

Right near Termini station/ in pza della Repubblica: Largo di Villa Peretti, 1
tel. 06.48903500

Booking tel# 06/39967700
(if you're on a tight schedule it helps to book your entry to the second floor in advance)

Official website

Museo Etrusco/ Villa Giulia

(no photos permitted inside, just in garden)

Centrale Montemartini (Capitoline Museums)

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This electrical plant, the first in Rome and built 1912, has been converted recently (1997) into a secondary museum space for the Capitoline Museum collections of sculpture during the main site's rennovation. They say this is a temporary site, but just like "temporary closures", in Italy this could well mean a few decades. Given how much work they have put into this, I don't see them moving it any time soon.

I admit, I was skeptical about this museum - I thought it would house "leftovers". I was very pleasantly surprised and would recommend this to any interested tourists or scholars, especially fans of Ancient art. Not many people make it out here but it is worth it, and not really as out of the way as it seems. The power plant has been beautifully restored and interesting elements have been recuperated and duly labelled, providing for fascinating juxtapositions of the modern (all dark metal) and the ancient sculpture, usually not all that fun to look at in white rooms. If anything you're bound to get good photos.

Amongst the more quality items in the collection is the famous Barberini "Togato", a standing male sculpture of the first century representing a patrician man holding the busts of his ancestors - reflective of contemporary practise and privilege of the patrician classes to have these items made. However, since it is in itself a white marble sculpture, to us there is not much differentiation between the "real" and the "sculpted", so that it rather disconcertingly looks like this man is holding two severed heads. His own head was also severed; the one on this sculpture is not the original.

My photos show some of the most interesting elements of the power plant machinery: (1) Tosi (1933) and greek maiden; (2) the man with three heads described above; (3) the dials from a 1930's diesel motor and (4) the handles; (5) a 1950's furnace and, ironically, a Roman altar.

Suggestion: Time your visit so that you can eat lunch at "Doppio Zeroo" (via ostiense 68), an extremely stylish but reasonably priced pizzeria/tavola calda/wine bar frequented by office workers (always a good sign). On your way back to Piramide metro station, you can't possibly miss the Piramide di Caio Cestio, a 27 metre high brick pyramid faced with white marble, and tucked into the city walls, which kinda takes away from the original effect.

Can purchase cumulative entry with Capitoline Museum.

Centrale Montemartini Website

Via Ostiense 116 . To get there take Metro B to Piramide. Walk south on via Ostiense and take in the atmosphere of a busy modern suburb with ten lanes of traffic that don't disuay locals from taking their morning "passeggiata". After piazza Gazometro you're in a fully industrial area that you'd surely never have seen as a "normal" tourist! The Centrale is located just after the Italgas plant (one long block) and is indicated by banners.