Julius Palace in Rome. The golden house of Nero - the grandiose plan of the Roman emperor

Portrait of Emperor Nero. Marble. Middle of the 1st century

A cruel despot, a satiated lecher, a cold-blooded killer of his own mother, a callous and cynical egoist who reveled in the blood of his victims - this is how the Roman emperor Nero appears in the image of ancient historians and writers. Therefore, it is not surprising that among the European peoples the name of Nero has always been associated with the idea of ​​​​his monstrous cruelty and despotism, it even acquired a nominal character.

The life of Nero has become a favorite topic for many novelists and playwrights, it is enough to recall such works as the novels “The Beast from the Abyss” by A.V. Amfiteatrov, “False Nero” by L. Feuchtwanger, “Where are you coming?” G. Senkevich and others. Meanwhile, Nero was not at all an exception among many other rulers of the Roman Empire. He was probably only more unrestrained in the manifestation of his baser instincts, and this was explained to a large extent by the environment that surrounded Nero in his childhood and youth.

He was born, as M. Kostorubov wrote in the 19th century in his article “Nero and Bashkirtseva”, at a time of “unbelief and spiritual flabbiness”, when no one believed in the ancient gods, although their altars and temples were still officially revered. This time seemed to be lost for great ideas, any teaching seemed suspect. But from Galilee the word was already heard new love, and neither the pagan priests-preachers, nor even the executioner's ax could silence him.

The great god Pan died, and ancient Roman virtues were buried with him. Together with them, strong and whole natures disappeared, and everyone seemed to be seized only by the pursuit of the pleasures of life.

The family environment in which Nero grew up was no different from the character of the entire era. As a child, he was impressionable and receptive, but even the slightest manifestation of human feelings in him was immediately suppressed. Teachers and educators believed that the grandson of Germanicus was more befitting of the severity and firmness of a soldier than poetic sentimentality. And the young Nero was attracted by music and poetry, painting and sculpture; he loved to draw, sing, chase, adored theatrical performances and circus games. Therefore, it is not surprising that living, real life became for Nero miserable and everyday; human feelings, not encountered in a concentrated form or not expressed aesthetically, did not touch him. Living in a ghostly world, serving only the cult of eternal beauty, Nero did not accept reality with its harsh laws, which were so poorly reconciled with his wondrous fantasies.

Such was this Roman emperor who built the palace, which contemporaries called Domus Aurea - "Golden House". Russian writer A.V. Amphitheatrov in the book “The Beast from the Abyss” mentioned above wrote that under Nero, the Palatine Hill of Rome was already built up and did not give scope to the creative imagination of the emperor. For a long time, ancient palaces and temples stood on a narrow hill, and only one single part of the hill remained unbuilt - the traditional meeting place for sovereigns with the people who greeted them, a place for walks, and sometimes riots of citizens.

Nero often complained that he was uncomfortable in the palace of Caligula, which he called a simple shack. He even taunted his predecessors that they were content with such a pit. “He is full of great dreams, an incorrigible artistic tyrant,” writes A.V. Amphitheaters - raved about chimerical palaces. He planned for himself a plan for a residence equal to the palaces of China and Assyria.

The plan for such a grandiose palace was drawn up by the architects Sever and Celer. According to their plan, it was palace complex, which included groves, fields, meadows, vineyards, orchards, artificial ponds. When planning the palace for Nero, Severus and Celer set out to create not one palace, but a kind of summer residence in the center of Rome. They decided to present, within limited limits, samples of Egyptian and Oriental palace and park art, to present the whole world in miniature, to recreate in the center of the capital, as it were nature - beautiful views and islands of rural seclusion. Moreover, the royal residence had to be connected with all parts of Rome, so it seemed to be a city that was built, as it were, in a village.

In their project, Sever and Celer simultaneously combined elements of a Roman country estate, a Campanian villa and a palace residence, and Nero was very pleased with this. However, the construction of the "Golden House" then might not have been realized. In addition to financial difficulties, Nero was faced with the religious law and custom of the Roman people. Huge area, which was necessary for the emperor for building, as already mentioned above, was occupied by palaces, temples, public buildings and other structures. It was possible to negotiate with private individuals and state institutions, but what about shrines and monuments? The question of their demolition was not even subject to discussion - under no pretext!

These obstacles could have been insurmountable for Nero, but the fire that happened in Rome in 64 played into the hands of the emperor: he played so much that public opinion suspected him of a deliberate culprit.

After the fire, Nero vigorously took up the restoration of Rome, and simultaneously with the restoration of the city, a palace for the emperor was also being built. Main entrance to the palace was located on the Forum, and part of the sacred road. To give it a monumental character, Nero ordered to build large arches on both sides of the road.

The main entrance led to a huge vestibule, and in front of it stood an almost 35-meter statue of Nero in the pose of the Colossus of Rhodes (the work of the sculptor Zenodor). In the sculptural Colossus, a portrait resemblance to Nero was clearly seen. Pliny, who visited the sculptural workshop of Zenodorus, wrote: "In his workshop, we were surprised at the extraordinary similarity of the preliminary sketch in clay." The colossus, made of bronze, gold and silver, outlived Nero: subsequently, he was one of all the other portraits of the deified emperor was not destroyed.

Among some researchers, there is an opinion that the "Golden House" was conceived not only as a luxurious villa in the center of Rome, but also as a kind of "Palace of the Sun" - the abode of a cosmic deity. Not without reason, the attributes of two gods were included in the official portraits of Nero - the aegis of Jupiter and the solar crown of Helios. Therefore, the very name of the palace could mean not only the richness of its decorative decoration, but carried an ideological and programmatic load, as if the builders wanted to recreate the “golden, bright shiny” Palace of the Sun, sung by Ovid.

Through the vestibule of the palace, one entered a spacious portico that occupied the entire hill of Velia, and further, in the valley, an artificial lake filled with salt water spilled: it was like a sea that arose at the whim of the emperor.

Roofing porticos, supported by rows of columns, also stretched between the individual parts of the palace. Some of them had three rows of columns, and were up to one and a half kilometers long. Anyone who walked under such a portico, every 15-20 steps, seemed to be transported to new lands. Either the bright flowers of a carefully manicured garden smiled at him, or the coolness of the groves and the greenery of pastures beckoned him. Intricate fountains were arranged in parks and gardens, water murmured in aqueducts, birds splashed in the ponds and colorful fish swam, tamed animals walked in the forests. Statues were white among the greenery of trees, and snow-white marble sculptures also enlivened the banks of ponds surrounded by flowering shrubs.

The "Golden House" was built for several years, and its most beautiful halls were erected on the Oppian Hill. Their interior decoration was more than fabulous splendor. The walls of all rooms, lined with various types of marble, were so richly decorated with gilding that because of it the palace was called the “Golden House”.

The walls of many halls were painted by the artist Fabull. This fresco painting, which was not repeated anywhere, could be executed either as a theatrical scenery or depicted a scene from a Greek tragedy. Some rooms were painted according to the adventures of mythological heroes, others were decorated with urban, rural or simply fantastic landscapes with unprecedented birds, fabulous monsters or evil demons.

The picturesque decoration of the ceilings matched the walls: for example, in one of the halls, the vault was divided by thin gilded frames into round, square and oval fields, in which mythological scenes were depicted. In the banqueting halls, light openwork ceilings could open, and then flowers or incense would fall on the feasters from above. In the main hall (octagonal), the ceiling was arranged in the form of a heavenly vault, which rotated non-stop, following the movement of the heavenly bodies.

To implement such a grandiose plan, the architects Sever and Celer helped the cement invented by that time. They were among the first who began to use hitherto unknown building material. Arches and domes no longer required powerful walls for support, and therefore the entire Golden House turned out to be light and airy. It was a light and romantic building, a realm of art and serenity.

The total area of ​​the palace, which had more than 100 halls, was approximately 130 hectares. The "Golden House" stretched from Caelius Hill to the Forum of Augustus and from the Palatine to the gardens of Maecenas. In order to at least roughly imagine this area, A.V. Amphitheater reports that for Paris these were the Louvre, the Tuileries and Champs Elysees, taken together.

The territory of the palace was really so huge that contemporaries joked bitterly: “The Romans have only one thing to do - to move to nearby town Wayne." But Nero himself, when the construction was completed, said: “Finally, I can live like a human being!”.

Hills. There was simply no other decent free space in the city center. And if it was possible in principle to resolve the issue with private buildings, then even Nero could not afford to demolish dozens of temples.

Fragment of the Golden House of Nero. One of the renovations

This problem was solved for him by a terrible fire of 64 years, which cleared the vast expanses adjacent to the Palatine Hill. The task of building a new largest structure, the palace of palaces, was entrusted to the architects of the North and Celer. According to Tacitus they were "endowed with ingenuity in trying to achieve through art what nature refused, and squandering the treasury of the princeps". Their plan was to build a whole palace complex not only with various buildings, but also with meadows, fields, ponds, groves, vineyards and orchards, i.e. like a country villa, but in the very center of Rome. Moreover, the imperial residence had to be connected to all parts of the city.

According to historical sources, it is known that during the life of Nero, the project was completed by three-quarters. The territory was planned and landscaped, most of the secondary buildings were erected and finished inside. The decoration of the main palace turned out to be unfinished, which, however, did not prevent the emperor from settling in it, stating: "Amazing! Finally, I can live like a human being!”

The plans of the North and Celer have not been preserved. It is known that the "Golden House" was the largest urban residence of the ruler that ever existed in Europe. Modern historians estimate its area in the range of 40 - 120 hectares. Its territory included the Palatine, the Esquiline, the slopes of the Quirinal and the Caelian, and the lowlands between them. On the border between the palace and the rest of the city stood, surrounded by a portico, a statue of Nero ( Colossus Neronis) in bronze, gold and silver. Its height was estimated at 30 - 36 meters. Under Hadrian, it was moved to the Colosseum (where its name could come from). The foundation of the statue was demolished in 1936.

Sever and Celer were able to carry out their grandiose plan, to a large extent, thanks to a new building material - concrete. Its use made it possible to create arches and domes of previously unimaginable sizes. In addition, they now did not require too strong walls for support, and the whole palace turned out to be light and, as it were, airy, a structure light and serene.

Through the vestibule of the palace, visitors entered a spacious portico that occupied the entire Velia hill. In the valley where the Colosseum now stands, an artificial lake with salt water was built, on which boat rides were made. The porticos connected the separate parts of the palace with each other. Some of them were up to one and a half kilometers long. Walking under them constantly seemed to be transported to new lands in a series of gardens, groves and pastures. Various fountains worked in the parks, fish swam and birds splashed in the ponds, and tamed animals walked in the forests.

The center of attraction of the whole complex was the palace itself with a gilded dome, from which, apparently, the name came. This was the first time that external gilding was used in a private, and not in a temple, building. First of all, visitors to the palace were struck by skillful lighting - the sun penetrated even into the farthest rooms. Through carefully thought-out openings in the ceilings and walls, the light was directed to jets of water and gilded frescoes that adorned not only the walls, but also the vaults of the palace, which was an innovation for that time. One of the high vaulted galleries, for example, contained picturesque panels imitating windows with views of the surrounding landscapes.

Most of the murals, apparently, belong to the main artist Nero Fabullus ( Fabullus ), specialist in the combination of frescoes and paintings. Pliny the Elder, a contemporary of Nero, believed that the artist was very unlucky - almost all of his works were concentrated in the emperor's palace and died with him ("The Golden House was the dungeon of his art"). Of course, he did not work alone, but with a team of assistants. It is known that he was always dressed in an ordinary Roman toga, thus emphasizing his role as a Roman leadingGreeks and immigrants to the East.

In the construction of the palace were used and Newest technologies of his time. Almost every hall contained some technical surprise, such as the world's first manually operated elevator. In the dining halls, holes were made in the ceilings for dispersing aromas and turning plates for scattering flowers. The main refectory hall was even equipped with a false inner dome that rotated non-stop, imitating the movement of heavenly bodies. In the baths, in addition to the usual, sulfuric and salty water. The world's largest hydraulic organ worked somewhere here.

In 68, Nero committed suicide. Otho, who ruled for only three months, allocated 50,000,000 sesterces for the completion of the palace. Flavius, Vespasian and Titus, the palace was not interesting and another fire gave rise to liquidation grand structure. A new forum, baths, an amphitheater (Coliseum) and other public buildings were built on the lands of the palace. The lowlands were covered with earth, thanks to which individual halls of the palace have come down to us intact.

These halls were accidentally opened in the 15th century. Many famous Renaissance artists descended under the arches of the Golden House and copied its frescoes, leaving their autographs on them. The underground palace for a long time became the main source of inspiration for artists who revived painting forgotten in the Middle Ages. In particular, these murals greatly influenced Raphael and his school. They are repeated in the design of many Italian buildings. However, the frescoes, well-preserved by that time, began to collapse under the influence of moisture. On this moment only 1500 sq. meters against the original 30,000.

In addition to the murals in the Golden House, a colossal number of various objects and sculptures were found, including the famous Laocoön, now in the Vatican. At a time when the territory of the palace was built up anew, these sculptures were not of interest for their export to other places. After all, they were just copies from still-existing Greek originals. So we had the opportunity to see the works of brilliant Greek masters, despite the destruction of their originals in the Middle Ages.

Due to rains in the 20th century, collapses of some ceilings occurred. In 1999, the palace premises in Trayana Park were opened to visitors, but in 2005 they were closed again for security reasons. After urgent work, the complex was reopened in 2007, and in 2010 most of the ceiling collapsed again. Currently, access to the underground halls is closed. Archaeological work continues. Researchers believe that most of the palace is still hidden underground, and they are counting on many interesting finds.

Golden House of Nero (Domus Aurea or Domus Aurea) in Rome: the history of the palace, its size and components, why it was built, where the entrance is located, excursions to the Golden House.

Story

None of the rulers before Nero was so devoted to art that he did not take into account either the costs, or the time, or the victims. Only he could have thought of moving a piece of nature to the very center densely populated city and create an incredible project the likes of which Rome has never seen before.

Us nothing is known on the foundation and on the earliest stages of the construction project for the palace of Nero. It probably began around the year 60, that is, shortly after Nero killed his mother Agrippina the Younger. He did not need a new residence, since he inherited a magnificent house - the so-called "Palace of Tiberius" (Domus Tiberian or Domus Tiberiana), built during the reign of the emperors Tiberius and Caligula, and occupying at least the entire western part Palatine Hill.

Five-sided courtyard and octagonal hall. Probable view

Name of Nero's palace Domus Aurea"("Golden House"; emphasis on the first "a") is of ancient origin. Most famous saying about him belongs to the ancient Roman writer Suetonius in the book “ Life of the Twelve Caesars» I-II centuries: «But most of all he was wasteful in buildings. From the Palatine all the way to the Esquilinus, he built a palace, calling it at first the Gateway [approx. Domus Transitoria or Domus Transitoria], and then, after the fire and restoration, - Golden [approx. Domus Aurea or Domus Aurea]. It will suffice to mention the following about its size and decoration. Its anteroom was so high that it contained a colossal statue of the emperor one hundred and twenty feet high; its area was such that the triple portico on the sides was a mile long; inside was a pond like the sea, surrounded by buildings like cities, and then fields full of arable land, pastures, forests and vineyards, and on them a lot of livestock and wild animals. In the rest of the chambers, everything was covered with gold, decorated with precious stones and pearl shells; in the dining rooms the ceilings were pieced, with turntables to scatter flowers, with holes to scatter aromas; the main chamber was round and day and night revolved unceasingly following the firmament; salty and sulfuric waters flowed in the baths. And when such a palace was completed and consecrated, Nero only told him in praise that now, finally, he would live like a human being.

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ABOUT Domus Transitoria practically nothing is known due to the fact that it first burned down in a fire, and then Domus Aurea was built in its place. It was probably a chain of not very large structures, squeezed between commercial buildings, along which Nero could easily move from the palace of Tiberius to the gardens of the Maecenas, located on the Esquiline hill. The fire made it possible to build something bigger, something grandiose. Nero was working on a project for his own palace throughout his reign. So myself Domus Aurea has been under construction since 64(the year of the great fire) to 68 (the year of Nero's death). Its architects were, according to Tacitus, Severius and Celer. The first is considered to be the actual architect, and the second - the engineer, although this is just the version that is customary to adhere to. It is clear that only one person was involved in the construction itself.

Painting Roman Caesar by an unknown author (c. 1750 - 1830)

The creation of the palace was made possible thanks to fire since he freed large spaces in the very center of the city, which Nero was able to freely occupy. There is a fairly famous painting by Carl Piloty " Nero looks at burning Rome". At the same time, according to more reliable data, Nero did not set fire to Rome, and he was not even in the city at that time. However, during the construction of the palace, the walls of the buildings that stood here before it were really used.

Nero on the Rkins of Rome, painting by Carl Theodor von Piloty

N.B. Should to distinguish between the new palace of Nero and the whole complex, which is also called "Domus Aurea". The “country” palace stood on the Esquiline Hill, while the complex, which consisted of buildings and structures from different periods: the palace on the Palatine (where the Julio-Claudian dynasty lived for decades), an artificial lake in the valley, unknown buildings on Caelian, as well as a huge park , occupied the Esquiline and Palatine hills, as well as all the space between them. The building of the Golden Palace has not yet been fully excavated, and only its Esquiline wing can be visited.

Plan of the open part of the palace (see details below)

Domus Aurea size

We do not know exactly where the Domus Aurea complex began and where did it end. Did he have any clear boundaries? Was it surrounded by some kind of fence or wall. How people entered it - through one monumental gate on the western side or through many doors at all ends of the domus. Who had access inside? So far, the only thing our assumptions can be based on is the evidence of contemporaries (Seneca and others). Poet Martial(40 - 104) complained that this house alone occupied the whole city. Pliny the Elder(22 - 79) twice indirectly said that the Golden Palace surrounded Rome. An anonymous libel confirmed the dimensions of the Domus Aurea: "The city is turning into a house: citizens, move to Veii before Veii takes the house."

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More or less detailed story about the main palace writer Suetonius(70-126): he describes in order the vestibule, the lake, other buildings, the open courtyard, and then says "in other parts everything was covered with gold and studded with precious stones and pearls", after which he virtual tour goes to the dining rooms and baths. It is possible that the house of Nenron, like the theater of Pompey on the "golden day" in May 66, was covered in gold not only inside, but also outside. This may have been done by Nero out of a love for dramatic lighting effects.

Approximate size of the Golden House complex (shaded part of the map)

There is a version that the size of the Golden House complex is greatly exaggerated, which could be due to a misunderstanding in the assessment of which buildings were included in it. It is currently believed that its area was about 2.5 sq. km.

The building of the Golden Palace itself could extend further to the north - that is, it is possible that the retaining wall of the terrace of the Esquiline wing was not its northern border.

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The center of the Domus Aurea complex was the Palatine, the place where Nero was engaged in state affairs. Esquiline villa, apparently, he built as Vacation home. As Tacitus wrote, the Golden Palace neither in architecture nor in decoration was superior to the houses of other Roman aristocrats. The only thing that made him different from them was comfortable position within city limits, not outside.

One thing is for sure - the Golden House was not a "home" in the traditional sense. It was a complex of buildings with gardens, a lake, swimming pools. And it is unlikely that it was intended for only one person. It is possible that it was open to everyone (see the second version in the section "why it was built").

Why was it built?

The most common version is that the Golden House was supposed to be palace of the sun god, that is, Nero-Helios. The main defender of this theory is considered to be the Norwegian art historian Lorange, and the opponents are the archaeologists Toynbee and Axel Boethius.

It cannot be denied that Nero wanted to be associated with a god, but there is no evidence that he or anyone else claimed to be a god. Judging by the evidence (records, coins, signatures on statues), Nero began to officially associate himself with Apollo from the year 59 (after the murder of Agrippina), and with the god Sol or Helios - only from the year 64 (after a big fire). Apollo and Sol symbolized Nero's two main passions- playing the lyre and chariot racing.

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As confirmation of this version, one can also consider, for example, bronze Roman coins, on which Nero, starting from 64, was depicted in a diadem with sharp outgoing "rays", or the Colossus himself with the features of Nero.

Both the bronze Colossus and the “golden” residence on the top of the Esquiline Hill, with their radiance and position, should create associations with Sol-Helios. Interestingly, the palace was facing south, thanks to which it was illuminated for most of the day.

What did Nero's Golden Palace look like? Reconstruction from altair4 website

Second, less known version lies in the fact that Nero wanted to be for the Romans a kind of year-round "king of Saturnalia" (princeps Saturnalicius) in a mini-copy of Bailly in the very center of Rome (Bailli was luxury resort town- "the sanctuary of vice", as Seneca called it). During the period of the Saturnalia, all serious commercial activity ceased, it was allowed to drink alcohol, gamble, dress what you wanted, you could give each other gifts, domestic slaves were allowed to eat with their masters, and sometimes they even changed roles for a while. Initially, Saturnalia was celebrated for only one day - December 17, but later their celebration was extended to December 23. Nero may have wanted to introduce Saturnalian customs into everyday life Romans not only to entertain themselves, but also to get closer to their people, which in those days was not welcomed by the ruling class, who in turn hated Nero.

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Back in 64, before the great fire, Nero became known for gave huge banquets to all the Romans and acted as if Rome was his home and the people in it were his guests. That is, he might want to really turn this part of the city into his palace and give the Romans in it the freedom that they received during the Saturnalia.

Neither one nor the other version has unequivocal confirmation.

Colossus

The Colossus is a marble sculptural representation of Nero (or a person similar to him) as the sun god with the attributes of the sun, which was created by a Greek sculptor Zenodor. She stood in the outer courtyard of the Golden House, surrounded by a triple colonnade about 1600 meters long. Probably, Nero wanted his statue to resemble the colossus of Rhodes - one of the legendary Seven Wonders of the World.

Probable appearance and size of the Colossus

We are exactly we don't know what it looks like this colossus. However, there are two images of him - one (accurate) on the medallion of Gordian III, and the second (probable) - on an amethyst stored in Berlin. Judging by these reliefs, the Colossus was a figure of a standing stocky man in a "radiant" wreath. His left hand was supported by a column, and his right hand lay on the helm (a symbol of power over the sea). In the left river, he probably held a globe (a symbol of power over the earth). Or, according to another version, his left hand was empty, and with his right he pierced the globe with a helm.

Two authentic representations of the Colossus

Height of the Colossus was 120 Roman feet (35.5 meters).

After Nero's death, Colossus' features were changed so that he no longer resembled the disgraced emperor. In 128 he was moved to the northwest side of the Flavian amphitheatre. It stood there at least until the 5th century. Perhaps at the end of the 6th century, Pope Gregory I ordered the removal of this pagan symbol from the center of Rome. Up relatively recent on this spot in Rome one could see the pedestal of this statue.

Colossus moved to the west side of the Colosseum

On the site of the courtyard in which the Colossus stood was built Temple of Venus and Roma, part of which was later occupied by the church of Santa Francesca Romana.

Pond

When Nero came to power, there were two large artificial reservoirs in Rome - the stagnum of Agrippa and the naumachia of Augustus. Nero, in the very heart of his Golden Palace, created a third reservoir - Nero's stagnum(stagnum Neronis), which he surrounded with pavilions and parks with exotic animals. Suetonius wrote: "There was also a pond, like a sea, surrounded by buildings symbolizing cities." That is, it is also possible that the stagnum of Nero was supposed to symbolize Campania or even the entire Mediterranean Sea. People who looked at this pond from the hill could see miniature of the part of the world known to them. Water was supplied to this lake by the Aqua Claudius aqueduct.

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The stagnum of Nero was already drained under the emperor Vespasian (69 - 79) and it was precisely the Colosseum was built in its place(in which, however, naumachia were also held). In fact, the Colosseum was named so not because of its size, but because of that huge statue of Nero, which continued to stand near it ("colossus"). Officially, it had a different name - "Flavian Amphitheater".

Already in the 21st century, Archaeologist Clementina Panella carried out excavations in the area and confirmed the presence of an artificial lake mentioned by Suetonius. However, she noted that it was smaller than the Colosseum and oddly shaped.

The Esquiline wing of the Domus Aurea Palace did not face the lake directly.

Golden Palace of Nero modern map

The open parts of the Domus Aurea Palace

The golden house was an elongated building with two symmetrical wings between which was octagonal hall. Each wing had a large five-sided courtyard, open to south side, from where one could see most of the complex of the Golden Palace, as well as a rectangular courtyard with north side. There was a colonnade on the south side of the entire western block. Fabbrini wrote that a colonnade also stood along the eastern block, but it differed in the shape of the roof from the western one.

Plan (the red circles mark the rooms where the tour takes place)

In total it had about 300 rooms(about 150 are open), and, judging by the lack of kitchens, doors, toilets, bedrooms, service rooms and heating systems, did not live in this palace but only spent time surrounded by beautiful nature and works of art. The central rooms of each part of the palace of pain are larger and more beautiful than the peripheral halls. Often they had a colonnade or several large windows (for example, rooms 29, 44, 80, 128).

The length of the open Esquiline wing is about 400 meters, the width is about 50 meters; ceilings, mostly vaulted and their average height about 10-11 meters. In very narrow corridors or halls, suspended (false) ceilings were made to visually expand the space.

False ceiling in room 118

Archaeological excavations by Fabbrini have shown that at least the Esquiline wing had second floor, where one could climb a large staircase (room 38). The appearance of the second floor can only be assumed, since nothing has been preserved of it (probably, it was destroyed during the formation of the foundation of Trajan's baths).

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All the hills of Rome were quite densely built up and the architects of the palace of Nero with great intelligence used buildings that survived the fire. The north walls of rooms 70, 72, 75, 77 and 78, the back walls of rooms 84-86, and the north and west walls of room 141 belong to earlier buildings. In the project of Nero's palace, these rooms were assigned a service role; in addition, they insulated the rest of the rooms from the dampness emanating from the ground beyond their outer walls. Rooms 7-17, 18, 18A, 19, 56-64 are also completely created from pre-neron buildings.

Room 70. Part of the Doneron building

All parts of the palace built under Nero, as well as most of the rooms of other eras, were built masonryopus testaceum(rows of burnt bricks, between which concrete is poured).

Unfortunately, decorations most of the halls are almost completely destroyed. Wall painting of the Golden Palace is associated with the name Fabulla- the artist about whom Pliny the Elder wrote. Thanks to his unique style- sober but elegant and light, using colors such as bright red, blue, crimson, indigo and green, Fabull is the only artist of antiquity whose work can be identified. Most of the frescoes that covered the walls belong to the so-called " Fourth Pompeian style"- the last style created in Pompeii before the eruption of Vesuvius. Archaeologists have confirmed that gold and precious stones were used to decorate the walls. The surviving frescoes confirm Nero's love for the history of Troy, the city whose rulers were the progenitors of the Julio-Claudian family.

The walls covered with frescoed plaster are from the era of Nero, and the brick walls are from the time of Trajan.

Frescoes on the wall of one of the rooms

The most famous rooms:

— hall with owls on the ceiling(29 on the map; sala della volta delle civette) - his motif was often used in paintings of the 18th century;
— Nymphaeum Polyphemus and Odysseus(45 on the map; ninfeo di Ulisse e Polifemo). Although the mosaic in the center of the ceiling is not in the best condition, it was identified due to the fact that it repeats other mosaics found in Baiae, in Castel Gandolfo and Tivoli;

Polyphenes and Odysseus on the ceiling

Nymphaeum ceiling (room 45)

The lower part of the nymphaeum with niches in the left wall and a water source on the right

Nymphaeum reconstruction

— hall with golden ceiling(80 on the map, sala della volta dorata);

Room ceiling 80

Reconstruction of a hall with a golden ceiling (80)

— Hall of Achilles on Skyros(119 on the map, sala di Achille a Sciro), named after the fresco, which probably depicts the mythical episode described by Homer: Achilles, in order not to participate in the Trojan War, hides on the island of Skyros among the daughters of Lycomedes;
— Hall of Hector and Andromache(129 on the map; sala di Ettore e Andromaca). One of the mosaics of the stream here depicts Hector, his wife and their son Astyanax.

Fresco with the farewell of Hector and Andromache in the center

Ceiling of room 129

In other rooms, only a small number of frescoes which are also in a deplorable state. When the Domus Aurea is open to the public, six groups of Doneron frescoes will be on display, such as the third Pompeian style frescoes on the stairs (room 38), the frescoes in room 70, the geometric mosaic floor in room 73, the frescoes in rooms 116-119, over which under Nero, murals were applied, and some of them disappeared (in room 116, a black-and-white mosaic floor with a geometric pattern was also preserved). In addition, the murals in corridor 131, the remains of floor mosaics and niches in room 123, frescoes in cryptoportic 79, in rooms 76 and 42 are of interest.

Some rooms have been decorated in one style, for example, 73-76 and 81; 65-68; 86-91 and 83.

One of the big rooms

Room 116

northern rooms were painted in darker colors, while the southern ones were painted in lighter ones.

Corridor 45a

The octagonal back was the center of the Domus Aurea palace. It was oriented to the sun at the time of the autumnal equinox of 64 years.

A fall sunlight through the dome at noon on the day of the equinox (when the sun shines at an angle of 48 degrees). One of the many mysteries of the house of Nero. Drawing by Robert Hannah

Octagonal Hall (128)

Octagonal Hall (128)

side hall

The design of the octagonal hall is cardinally is different from everything that was previously created in Greek and Roman architecture. It was a very complex building that changed the history of all Roman architecture. The architects and engineers of Nero knew with incredible precision what could and could not be built with concrete (opus caementicium), and therefore could afford to experiment with form. That is, enough knowledge was accumulated so that the Romans could move away from the Greek models, and under Nero, architectural revolution.

Section: part of the dome of the octagonal hall and part of room 125

One of the options for how the octagonal hall could look

Door leading to the street (closed during restoration)

When this hall was opened, archaeologists assumed that this was the same room that, according to the records of Suetonius, rotated during the day following the sun(coenatio rotunda). Recent finds indicate that the octagonal hall was not this room.

Hole in the dome like the Pantheon

The dome in the central room of the Domus Aurea is lower than that of the Pantheon

Further history of the Golden Palace

Nero was the only emperor who managed to build a villa of this magnitude within the boundaries of the Eternal City. Subsequent emperors, such as Hadrian with his residence in Tivoli or Domitian with a summer palace in the Alban mountains, preferred distant suburbs.

After the death of Nero in 69 his name was betrayed by the "curse of memory" (Damnatio memoriae) - that is, erased from all monuments and from all records. Several subsequent emperors tried to get rid of the palace: its halls were looted, all the marble decoration was stolen. Unique gardens in the center of Rome were quickly built up with public buildings (including the Colosseum). The palace itself survived until the fire that occurred under Emperor Trajan in 104. After the fire the palace was covered with earth in order to level the hill and build on it the huge baths of Trajan. Brick walls were built in the large halls and courtyards of the palace so that the covered earth would not move apart and sag without support (now they can be easily identified by the fact that they do not have a plaster coating or plaster). Thus, the entire palace became the foundation for Trajan's baths.

Superposition of the scheme of Domus Aurea on the scheme of the baths of Trajan

After Rome surrendered to the Ostrogoths in the 6th century, they cut it off from drinking water, the Oppiysky hill was almost completely abandoned by people, thanks to which the golden house of Nero, unlike the rest of ancient Rome, relatively well preserved underground. He was found only inXV century, during the Renaissance, when a boy fell into a hole in this hill.

Pinturiccoo, Raphael, Michelangelo (16th century) - they all drew inspiration from the recently discovered ancient Roman "caves" or "grottoes" under the hill of Oppio. Then no one knew that these were the halls of a huge palace, so unusual painting style, which was discovered there, was given the name " grotesque».

What these grottoes could look like (a frame from a film that is shown to tourists at the beginning of the tour)

In the second half of the 17th century, the painter Pietro Santi Bartoli removed the earth from several halls of the palace and published a series of drawings of ancient frescoes.

In 1758-1769, under Pope Clement XIII, first archaeological excavations which were headed by the British architect O. Cameron. In 1774, 16 more halls were opened. All this happened after the discovery of the Pompeian frescoes, which were buried as a result of the eruption of Vesuvius in 89. At this time, vineyards grew on the surface of the Oppian Hill.

From 1811 to 1814, excavations were carried out under the direction of the architect Antonio de Romanis, who unearthed another 50 rooms. Thus, until the 20th century, only a part of the western block (rooms 7-64) and a group of rooms in the five-sided courtyard were open.

This is how the room covered with earth looks like

Until the 1980s, admission to the Domus Aurea was free. But when serious archaeological work began, he was closed.

Now in Domus Aurea is taking place complex restoration, which will cost 30 million euros. Until 2018, the palace will be strengthened so that the collapse that happened in 2010 does not happen again, and after that, the restoration of internal spaces will take place, which will take much longer.

Many of the halls remain covered because the dampness makes it difficult for archaeologists to keep the frescoes intact. Also do not dig large yards and they do not remove the brick supports from the time of Trajan - the probability of collapse due to a thick layer of earth poured on top is very high.

Former colonnade of the large courtyard. Brick walls from the time of Trajan, but originally it was just a large open courtyard with porticos

It remains to unearth about 30 percent of this palace, but archaeologists are working slowly and carefully due to the high probability of damaging the ancient building. In addition, work is taking place in the park, broken over the house in 1871. It had an extremely negative impact on the safety of Nero's palace, due to the fact that huge trees, which destroyed the foundation of Trajan's baths that protected it, and sprouted inside. Currently, part of the top layer of the earth, which presses on the vaults, is being removed, trees are being cut down and uprooted, and special drainage system, thanks to which grass will still grow at the top, but water from the surface will not penetrate inside. The task of archaeologists is to at least half reduce the weight pressing on the vault of the palace. It is not planned to dig out the palace completely, because it has adapted so much over these 2000 years that it will simply crumble under the influence of the urban atmosphere.

On our March trip to Rome, my mother and I accurately calculated that for the first time we were in eternal city 8 years ago. So many, of course, live, but still - how quickly time flies! We wanted to get to the Golden House of Nero back then, on our first visit. They went around the whole hill, but they did not find the entrance - they decided that, therefore, it was closed. And now, 8 years later, we finally realized this old dream.

Nero

The name of Nero is well known even to those who are not particularly interested in history - the last emperor from the Julio-Claudian dynasty (ruled from 54 to 68) was an outstanding personality.
At the beginning of his reign, he carried out several positive reforms - reduced taxes and fines, tried to limit corruption. Seneca himself was his teacher. However, more often Nero is remembered as a negative character. He killed his mother and wife, led a depraved life, indulging in vice with both women and men. He was very vain and fancied himself an excellent actor and singer, forcing him to praise his performances and demanding awards. Under Nero, the first persecutions of Christians began, the apostle Peter was crucified under him, he ended his days in tears: to avoid public execution after the uprising, Nero ended yourself. His memory was condemned to a curse - damnatio memoriae, some of his buildings and images were destroyed. After his death, there was a civil war for the throne, which ended in the victory of Vespesian, who thus became the founder of a new dynasty - the Flavians.
One of the most famous episodes of his life is the famous Roman fire of 64 years. Raging for six days, it destroyed 10 out of 14 districts of the city. According to legend, Nero ordered Rome to be set on fire, wanting to be inspired by the view of the dying city. Allegedly, he watched the fire, dressed in a theatrical costume, and recited a poem about the death of Troy. However, modern historians are more inclined to a different opinion, according to which Nero, on the contrary, supported the population and developed new plan urban construction.
It was this fire that cleared the area near the Palatine Hill that allowed Nero to start building the Domus Aurea - the Golden House, which occupied the territory of the Palatine, Esquiline, the slopes of the Quirinal and the space between them - the total area is estimated from 40 to 120 hectares.

golden house

The Golden House of Nero is the largest royal residence in Europe, it is second in size only to Forbidden City in Pekin.
The names of the architects who designed the palace are known - Sever and Celer, but the plans according to which it was built have not been preserved. No bedrooms were found in the palace, so it is believed that it was used mainly for entertainment. Suetonius writes about the palace like this: “the ceilings in the dining rooms were piece, with swivel plates to scatter flowers, with holes to scatter aromas; the main chamber was round and day and night revolved unceasingly after the firmament; salty and sulphurous waters flowed in the baths.” One of the innovations used in the palace is that not only the walls, but also the vaults are decorated with mosaics, something that Byzantine builders will soon use everywhere.
Near the palace, on the territory of the complex, there once stood a bronze statue of Nero (Colossus Neronis) with a height of 30 to 36 meters - the data varies. After the death of Nero, the statue remained - they only changed its face, and instead of the damned emperor, it began to personify the god of the Sun (Colossus Solis). It was in honor of this colossus that the Colosseum got its name - Colosseum, built not far from the statue on the site of Nero's artificial reservoir.

Golden house after the death of Nero

The complex was not completed during the life of Nero, and after his death it was abandoned. Marble and gold were stolen. And after the fire, the palace was completely built up - Trajan's baths grew over it.
The Golden House went underground for several centuries - until the 15th century. Around 1480, a young man fell into a crevice in a hill and ended up in a cave full of amazing drawings. Renaissance artists immediately became interested in the wonderful “grottoes” - Raphael, Michelangelo, Pinturicchio, Ghirlandaio, Filippino Lippi and others descended here. Remember the Raphael Gallery in the Hermitage? It is a copy of the Vatican Gallery, and that, in turn, was created under the impression of just the frescoes of the Golden House of Nero. And the name of the style - grotesque - comes from the word "grotto" - after all, Nero's house turned out to be an underground cave - grotto. Many frescoes have since collapsed under the influence of water and tree roots, and are known to us only from images left by Renaissance artists.

It was in the Golden House, by the way, that the sculptural group of Laocoön was found, which is now kept in the Vatican Museums (and you can admire a copy in our Hermitage).
Plan of the Golden House, as it looks now. Parallel galleries are what remains of the baths of Trajan, small rooms are the legacy of Nero. Here you can even see which rooms have been excavated, and where the earth still remains.

Entrance to archaeological zone- according to one of the galleries of the Trajan Baths.

The first stop is the nymphaeum of Odysseus and the Cyclops. Water once flowed down a small hill next to the scaffolding.

Mosaic on the ceiling of the nymphaeum.




If I'm not mistaken, this hole in the ceiling - from the time of the Renaissance - either through it got into the palace, or it was used for lighting.


And once this ceiling looked like this. These drawings appeared thanks to Ludovico Mirri, who commissioned their production in the 1770s. And among others, they were made by none other than Vincenzo Brenna - the same one who later came to St. Petersburg and built for Paul I.

And this is the ceiling of the gallery with preserved autographs of people who visited here after the opening of the “underground grottoes”. Somewhere among them, they say, there is an autograph of Pinturicchio.
In the photo you can see the letters “afo” and a little lower “M C” (I can’t vouch for the reliability of the decoding). Approximately in the middle of the frame, closer to the right edge.

See the little light square on the wall? This is a cleared piece of fresco. The guide told us that the ancient Roman paintings were not lost - but it takes a lot of time and a lot of money to clear these walls - so much that it is unlikely that it will ever be done.

Another cleared piece.

The famous octagonal hall.

How to visit the Golden House?

For the first time, the Golden House of Nero was opened to the public in 2000. Water infiltrated in 2005 and it was closed until 2007. It did not stay open for long - in 2010 something collapsed there, and the next opening happened only in October 2014. Now visits are possible until September 25, 2016. What will happen then - who knows? You can look at the Golden House only two days a week - on Saturday and Sunday, and only with a guided tour. Guided tours are available in Italian, English and Spanish. In English - at 9.45, 11.30, 12.00 and 15.00. Tickets must be purchased in advance from the coopculture website. The ticket costs 12 euros. There are no difficulties in the visit itself. You must have a printout of the visit confirmation letter with you. It’s better to arrive a little early so that you can easily change the letter for a ticket and get a yellow helmet. Helmets, by the way, were very uncomfortable - as soon as you lift your head, they strive to break loose. I had to ask my mother to hold on to my head - otherwise it was impossible to photograph.

Emperor Nero, the last of the house of Julius, is considered one of the most cruel and despotic emperors. ancient rome. Ancient historians often describe him as a cold-blooded killer who, for the sake of power, did not stop even before the terrible murder of his own mother.

By the time Nero came to power, there was practically no free space left in the Palatine, where Roman emperors usually settled. This small hill was completely built up with ancient palaces and temples of previous rulers and places for building a new one. imperial palace he didn't actually have it. Only that section of the hill was empty, on which the monarchs liked to walk and meet with the people.

After living a little in the palace of Caligula, which Nero considered too modest and called a miserable shack, the new emperor decides to build a palace worthy of his greatness.

The palace of Nero, later called the Golden Palace, is being designed by the famous architects of that time Sever and Celer. They planned to erect not only a palace, but a huge palace complex, which was supposed to include an artificial lake, gardens and meadows. In fact, only the countryside residences of Roman rulers could boast of such a scale before.

With their large-scale project, which included elements of a Roman estate and features of a palace residence, the architects managed to please Nero completely. He appreciated the work of the North and Celer and set about building.

But the construction of the Golden House of Nero was postponed for a long time for a variety of reasons. For a long time, Nero could not find a convenient and large enough place in the capital of the empire to build his palace. He could afford to buy private property in Rome, but even the emperor could not order the demolition of a number of public temples and buildings.

In the sixty-fourth year in Rome there was a terrible fire that destroyed almost the entire ancient city. Some historians are convinced that the initiator of this catastrophe is Nero himself, obsessed with building his residence. After the fire, the emperor begins the restoration of the city with great energy and enthusiasm, and at the same time lays the foundation of his palace.

The main entrance to the Golden House was decorated with a thirty-five-meter statue of Emperor Nero, depicting the ruler in the form of the Sun. Many scholars compare it to famous statue Colossus of Rhodes.

Many historians are sure that, according to Nero's plan, his new abode was to become not just a house, but a place in which God would be. This was due to the fact that Nero quite seriously equated himself with the god of the Sun, and also often completely identified himself with him. Even the name of the palace indicates this - it can be interpreted not only as a symbol of the richness of its interior decoration, but also as a reference to the fact that Helios himself lives here.

Behind the vestibule of the palace was a huge portico, completely occupied by the hill of Velia. Behind this portico was an artificial lake filled with salty sea water.

Nero's palace was built over the years. The most beautiful of his buildings and premises were erected on the Oppian Hill. The interior of the palace was very rich and distinguished by splendor and splendor. Frescoes on mythical scenes adorned almost all the walls inside the palace rooms and not only marble, but also gold was used in their details.

It is also interesting that during the construction work Sever and Celer used the newly invented cement and they are considered the first to use this material. Thanks to this innovation, domes and arches did not need to be supported by powerful walls, and the palace turned out to be very light and airy.

Golden House can be called the most huge complex of his time. Its area included more than one hundred and thirty hectares. Many of Nero's contemporaries joked that if the emperor had allowed it, his palace would have been able to accommodate all the inhabitants of Rome without any problems.

After the death of Nero, most of the Golden House was destroyed, and in its place the dynasty that ascended the throne began the construction of the Amphitheater, known today as.