Nymphaeum of Colle Oppio

In 1936, during the arrangement of Trajan's Park on Colle Oppio in the Monti district, an underground building was found, approximately 6-8 meters below the street level, which can be accessed today from the small pavilion on the corner with viale del Monte Oppio; a modern spiral staircase leads into the vestibule and from here into a courtyard.

The building is composed of two clearly distinct parts: a porticoed atrium further north and a series of rooms with niches to the south, which retain part of the glass paste mosaic and frescoed plaster covering.

The structure has been identified with a "nymphaeum", a place characterized by the presence of water - the holes of the pipes can still be seen - and intended for rest; the characteristics of the brick stamps found date it back to the Trajan age (2nd century AD), but it is probable that it was already previously part of the buildings that constituted, in this area, a sector of Nero's Domus Aurea.

The situation visible today is the result of a complex but also heavy restoration operation, carried out at the time of the discovery, which partly prevents and distorts its understanding.

Photo credits: Capitoline Superintendence