Current:Home > ScamsAncient ‘power’ palazzo on Rome’s Palatine Hill reopens to tourists, decades after closure.-InfoLens
Ancient ‘power’ palazzo on Rome’s Palatine Hill reopens to tourists, decades after closure.
View Date:2024-12-23 14:57:14
ROME (AP) — An ancient Roman imperial palazzo atop the city’s Palatine Hill was reopened to tourists on Thursday, nearly 50 years after its closure for restoration.
The nearly 2,000-year-old Domus Tiberiana was home to rulers in the ancient city’s Imperial period. The sprawling palace allows for sweeping views of the Roman Forum below.
The public is now able to tour it, following decades of structural restoration work to shore the palace up for safety reasons. Excavations uncovered artifacts from centuries of Roman life following the decline of the empire.
The director of the Colosseum Archeological Park, which includes the Palatine Hill, in a written description of the restored palazzo, dubbed it “the power palace par excellence.”
On the eve of the reopening, the official, Alfonsina Russo, quoted a first-century Roman poet as saying the sprawling palace seemed “infinite” and that “its grandiosity was just like the grandiosity of the sky.”
Although the domus, or residence, is named after Tiberius, who ruled the empire after the death of Augustus, archaeological studies indicated that the palace’s foundations date from the era of Nero, shortly after the fire of 64 A.D that devastated much of the city.
After the demise of the Roman Empire, the residence suffered centuries of abandonment, until when, in the 1500s, the Farnese noble family developed an extensive garden around the ruins.
Thanks to the palazzo’s reopening to the public, visitors today can get a better idea of the path ancient emperors and their courts enjoyed en route to the domus.
The English word “palatial” is inspired by the sumptuous imperial residence atop the Palatine, one of ancient Rome’s seven hills.
The domus, built on the northwest slope of the hill, is considered to be the first true imperial palace. Besides the emperor’s residence, the complex included gardens, places of worship, quarters for the Praetorian Guard that protected the ruler and a service district for workers that overlooked the Roman Forum.
Excavation and restoration work, carried out also during the coronavirus pandemic when for months tourism was at a minimum, helped archeologists piece together what Russo calls centuries of history in a place that “somehow went forgotten.”
On display for those visiting the reopened domus is a selection of hundreds of artifacts that were found, including objects in metal and glass. Statues, other decorations and ancient coins were also dug up.
veryGood! (1543)
Related
- High-scoring night in NBA: Giannis Antetokounmpo explodes for 59, Victor Wembanyama for 50
- The Daily Money: Real estate rules are changing. What does it mean for buyers, sellers?
- What do grocery ‘best by’ labels really mean?
- Tech Magnate Mike Lynch and Daughter Among 6 People Missing After Yacht Sinks Off Sicily Coast
- Gold is suddenly not so glittery after Trump’s White House victory
- US soldier indicted for lying about association with group advocating government overthrow
- MLB power rankings: World Series repeat gets impossible for Texas Rangers
- Aces coach Becky Hammon again disputes Dearica Hamby’s claims of mistreatment during pregnancy
- John Robinson, former USC Trojans and Los Angeles Rams coach, dies at 89
- Caleb Downs leads 4 Ohio State players selected to Associated Press preseason All-America first team
Ranking
- Report: Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence could miss rest of season with shoulder injury
- The Most Unsettling Moments From Scott Peterson's Face to Face Prison Interviews
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Twist of Fate
- D.C. councilman charged with bribery in scheme to extend $5.2 million in city contracts
- Mississippi woman pleads guilty to stealing Social Security funds
- Rosie O’Donnell’s Son Blake O'Donnell Marries Teresa Garofalow Westervelt
- 'We've lost a hero': Georgia deputy fatally shot after responding to domestic dispute
- Powerball winning numbers for August 19 drawing: $44.3 million jackpot won in California
Recommendation
-
Nevada Democrats keep legislative control but fall short of veto-proof supermajority
-
Boy Meets World Star Danielle Fishel Shares Breast Cancer Diagnosis
-
Joe Jonas Shares Glimpse Into His Crappy 35th Birthday Celebration
-
Horoscopes Today, August 19, 2024
-
Richard Allen found guilty in the murders of two teens in Delphi, Indiana. What now?
-
Panama deports 29 Colombians on first US-funded flight
-
Madonna Poses With All 6 Kids in Rare Family Photo From Italian Birthday Bash
-
'Tiger King' made us feel bad. 'Chimp Crazy' should make us feel worse: Review