THE THOMS SUNDAY TRAVEL SECTION.
Another UNESCO World Heritage Site sitting in the shadow of Rome is Villa Adriana, Hadrian’s Villa.
Less than 20 miles from the center of the Eternal City, this enormous site appears on too few itineraries.
The Roman Emperor Hadrian would build this enormous “summer home” outside the city to escape the summer heat.
I think the ruins, dating from circa 120 A.D., are the most impressive remains of a Roman Emperor in Italy.
The Palace of Domitian on the Palantine Hill is also worth visiting. But Hadrian’s is easier to see the grand scope of this city within.
By 128 A.D., Hadrian was using the Villa as his official residence, not liking the palace on the Palatine. Some historians believe his sexuality may be part of the reason for being out of sight.
Hadrian’s Antinous.
Hadrian had a wife, but their relationship appears to be only professional. As a result, she will produce no heir.
Antinous, a Greek slave, appears to be the object of his desire. Romans had no problem with Romans using foreigners for sexual gratification. However, Antinous would travel with Hadrian and attend state dinners and events.
Upon Antinous’ mysterious death on the Nile in Egypt, Hadrian builds a city in his memory, Antinopolis. He also had numerous statues of Antinous sculpted. The most extensive collection of them is possibly in the Vatican’s collection.
Post Hadrian.
After Hadrian’s death circa 138, most emperors ignore the Villa. By the fall of the Roman Empire (circa 395 A.D.), parts of the Villa are in ruins. People stole valuable statues and marbles.
Parts of the complex will serve various purposes over the next several hundred years. First, the Ostrogoths, then the Byzantines, will use buildings as warehouses during the circa 535A.D. Gothic War.
Like most older structures from Greek and Roman time, they eventually became early building material supply stores.
Circa 1550, Cardinal Ippolito II d’Este removes the remaining statues and marble mosaics for his nearby Villa d’Este.
Fragments and a few statues uncovered during more recent excavations are in the small buildings near the gate.
Hadrian’s Villa Then.
The complex, still only partially uncovered, probably covers close to 250 acres. In comparison, the Palantine is around 63 acres.
Estimates say it took between two or three hundred people, both free and slaves, to run the estate.
Currently, there are more than 30 structures known.
Building materials include brick, travertine, lime, pozzolana, and tufa. But, unfortunately, much of the marble and lime are missing.
The vast complex, full of fountains and pools, would require four different aqueducts to supply the water. This accounts for the Villa’s location in a valley instead of a hilltop.
Hadrian was a fan of just about anything Greek or Egyptian.
In addition to Roman architecture, several structures have Greek or Egyptian influences.
Some accounts say a river runs through the Villa, representing the Nile.
The Villa Today.
Teatro Greco.
As you ascend the road to the Villa, just beyond the entrance, is a small Greek theater. You may catch a glimpse of it through the olive trees. This theater would have been for small groups and is a nod to Hadrian’s love of Greece.
Nearby are the remains of a Nymphaeum and a Temple to Venus.
This “Greek” area is waiting for further excavation “someday”.
Follow this road uphill to the Villa’s wall.
Sala Absidata Detta dei Filosofi (Hall of the Philosophers).
To your left, at the end of the wall section, is the shell of this hall. The back wall contains seven niches, possibly where statues of the seven wise men once stood.
The Maritime Theatre.
This non-theater is one of my favorite areas. This round enclosure, behind the Hall of Philosophers, was probably a private sanctuary for Hadrian. Inside the circular wall is a ring-shaped pool (moat) with a round island in the middle. Columns ring the pool.
A Roman villa is in the center of the island. It was reachable only by a drawbridge. Complete with a central atrium, there was one bedroom and a bath area. Here, Hadrian could have time to himself.
Peristilio Detto Cortile delle Biblioteche (Courtyard of Libraries).
On the other side of the theater from the hall of Philosophers is the library complex. There are several structures here with a courtyard in between.
The larger structure they call the Greek library, due to the large rooms and statue niches on the ground floor. Unfortunately, there is little left from the scavengers to identify its use or construction correctly.
Hospitalia.
Just north of the library area is the hospital complex.
It is worth visiting to admire the mosaic floors that are miraculously still there. And in good condition in some places.
There is also a 15 person latrine in this section.
Piazza d’Oro (Golden Square).
This area was one of the most elegant complexes of the palace. Guests would enter through a vestibule at the northwest end. In the middle of the open courtyard would be gardens and fountains.
At the far end would be the dining area, possibly covered with a separate door for the emperor.
Personal latrines indicate this was an area only for important people.
Terme di Heliocaminus (baths).
This bath complex is between the Golden Square and the Maritime Theater. Its use is for the emperor and his elite circle.
The Pecile.
To the west of the baths, just inside the wall section we saw upon arrival, is this garden. Or is it? In the middle is a reflecting pool measuring 761 feet long by 318 feet wide. The wind blowing across it would provide cool air.
Surrounding the pool was a covered walkway allowing the emperor to walk in any weather.
But a lot is going on under the surface. The Pecile sits on top of the storerooms and living quarters for the staff. If you walk towards the west end, you can get an idea of the elevation.
Service tunnels run from the east end to different areas of the Villa.
Three Exedras.
Coming from the Greek word “exedra,” these circular benches would have landscaping around them. They create an outdoor arrival terrace to dining or meeting rooms to the left (east).
Stadium Garden.
Due east of the Exedras hall is an area some refer to as the stadium garden. It is hard to see through the trees in the middle, but the green area resembles a stadium in shape. Some excavations indicate it may have previously been a stadium.
Quadriportico con Peschira.
Part of the stadium complex is this area. Featuring a portico with a colonnade on four (quad) sides. The pool in the middle is a fish (Pesce) pond.
Antinoeion.
To the west of the Exedras is the “Egyptian” section. In what looks like the remains of a stadium are the foundations of two temples, once facing each other.
There was probably the obelisk on the platform between them that now stands on the Pincian Hill in Rome. The obelisk is to Antinous, and many experts believe this area to be the monument from Hadrian to him.
Several Egyptian pieces of art, now in museums, came from this area. The dirt road that resembles an oval running track was the original approach to the Villa.
The Vestibule.
At the south end of the Antinoeion is the entrance for important guests on horse or wheeled vehicles.
Climbing the stairs would lead to a peristyle, a plaza with a covered porch on three sides. To the right was a temple. Then, straight ahead is an apse, and to the left, the entrance to a great hall.
The Grande (large) and Picolo (small) Therme.
From ancient Greek times, it was customary to “freshen up” after arriving somewhere. Thus, you often find thermes near the main gates of towns.
Besides cleaning the road off of oneself, a doctor might also be on duty to quarantine anyone sick.
The large bath was adjacent to the Vestibule hall to the right. This bath would be for the use of the servants and other workers.
The small bath to the left is for the important guests. The few remaining decorations indicate the small bath was much more ornate than the larger public bath.
The Canopus.
This reflecting pool, representing the Nile River, takes its name from the city near where Antinous drowns. A colonnade surrounds the pool. Copies of famous works of Greek and Egyptian sculpture stood between the columns.
Copies of the caryatids from the Erechtheion on Athen’s Acropolis replace four of the pillars.
Serapeum.
At the south end of the Canopus is this ornate terrace for lounging or dining. A half-dome would protect the back of the seating area.
Many of the domes are in the style of the Pantheon in Rome. Hadrian is responsible for that structure as well.
Artworks From the Villa.
Besides the numerous mosaics and statues at nearby Villa D’Este, other art is traceable to Villa Adriana.
A large vase is in Glasgow, Scotland, and several pieces, including a dining room mosaic, are now in Germany.
Closer to where they belong, the Musei Capitolini and the Musei Vaticani in Rome house several pieces.
And slowly, they are restoring pieces still at the Villa.
Hadrian’s Villa Summary.
Maybe the crowds in the city are starting to get to you, or you have been to Rome before.
Or perhaps, you want to see how an emperor lived.
Then, get out in the country.
The Villa is no more than 15 minutes drive from the UNESCO Villa D’Este in Tivoli.
Unfortunately, most of the statues from Hadrian’s Villa are missing, but some mosaics remain.
There is so much to see outside of Rome.
Read more about Rome.
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“See the World” Continued on Page T3. “Taste the World” Continued on T11.