Almost 50 years after the serious structural problems that had led to its closure, and following complex restoration work, the immense spaces - about 4 hectares on the Palatine Hill - of the Domus Tiberiana, the glorious imperial residence dominating the valley of the Roman Forum, are once again open to the public.
The ancient walkways of this iconic residence, responsible for the origin of the modern meaning of the word 'palace,' led the emperor and his court to the various rooms of the sumptuous private mansion.
Its reopening has made it possible to restore the circularity of the paths between the Roman Forum and the Palatine, through the Domitian Ramp, the Horti Farnesiani, and the Clivo della Vittoria, which pass through the evocative spaces of the Imperial Palace that towers millenary over the main archaeological area of Rome, the largest in the world.
The new tour develops inside the palace in seven exhibition halls that offer visitors a privileged view of the Roman Forum; on the opposite side, the two multimedia halls host a documentary and a holographic reconstruction of the monument.
Room after room reveals the extraordinary architecture freshly restored, the services with the imperial baths and related structures, the stucco-decorated surfaces of the 'Caligula Bridge' and, in the background, the paintings depicting court life, the story of which is documented by hundreds of ceramic, metal and glass artifacts, statues and clay decorations, brought to light by more than thirty years of excavations.
Attractively illuminated thanks to the technical sponsorship of ACEA, the spaces are visible even at night.
The ambitious museum layout, Imago imperii, curated by Alfonsina Russo, Maria Grazia Filetici, Martina Almonte, and Fulvio Coletti, with the organisation of Electa, is divided into 13 rooms that open up along the route, telling the story of the monument over the centuries.
Photo: Emanuele Minerva
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