Nero’s ‘Golden House’ unveiled

A new entrance and the renovated western side of The Domus Aurea

ROME, by Alvise Armellini for Reuters – A section of Ancient Roman Emperor Nero’s vast underground Domus Aurea (the Golden House) was reopened to the public on Friday after extensive restoration and repair work to protect the nearly 2,000-year-old site from water damage.

The inauguration came as Rome is preparing for an influx of tourists during the 2025 Roman Catholic Holy Year, or Jubilee, during which the Eternal City expects as many as 32 million arrivals.

Visitors to Nero’s palace will be welcomed through a new entrance on the western side, leading to a wide hall known as the “Neronian portico” and then to rooms still bearing traces of their original colourful frescoes, mosaics and marbles.

The spectacular residence was built in 64 A.D. after a great fire destroyed most of what was then central Rome, the one through which Nero infamously, and probably apocryphally, is said to have fiddled.

It was rediscovered in the 15th century, and Renaissance painters including Raphael and Michelangelo would study its frescoes by lowering themselves on ropes through holes made in the ceiling, still visible today.

One room that reopened on Friday includes a graffiti by one of these artists, Pinturicchio, who scribbled his name as “Pintorichio”. Back in his time, someone added the word “Sodomito”, a homophobic insult that survives to this day.

Another area, the Nymphaeum, features a vault decorated with seashells and a central mosaic showing Ulysses (Odysseus) offering wine to Polyphemus, the one-eyed monster from Greek mythology cited in The Odyssey.

Nero’s palace was named after the gold leaf covering some of its walls, and was part of a complex that once included an artificial lake where the Colosseum now stands. It is said to have contained a 120-foot (36.6 metre) statue of the emperor.

The ruins now lie below a park next to the Colosseum. They survived because they were covered up and filled with rubble to serve as the foundation of baths built by the later Emperor Trajan.

Conservation authorities, however, face a constant battle with water infiltration from the ground above the palace, a problem that has led to repeated and prolonged closures of the monument over the past decades.

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Precious material discovered in Emperors palace

by Eliana Silver January 2025

Archaeologists have unearthed a rare and substantial Egyptian blue ingot at Emperor Nero’s Domus Aurea palace in Rome, marking one of the most significant discoveries at the ancient imperial residence.

The remarkable find at the “Golden House”, which dates from AD 54-68, offers unprecedented insights into the artistic techniques of ancient Rome.

The discovery is now considered one of the most precious pigment artefacts from the ancient world, bridging the artistic heritage between the Roman Empire and Renaissance periods.

The newly discovered ingot boasts impressive dimensions, measuring 5.9 inches in height and weighing 5.29 pounds.

This substantial size makes it particularly noteworthy, as Egyptian blue pigments are typically found in smaller fragments or powder form, such as those discovered at Pompeii.

The ingot’s presence at the imperial residence indicates a high level of specialisation among Roman artisans of the period.

Egyptian blue, first developed over 4,000 years ago in Egypt and Mesopotamia, was known to Romans as caeruleum.

The distinctive pigment was created through a complex process involving the heating of limestone, copper-containing minerals, silica and sodium carbonate at high temperatures.

The resulting vibrant blue became highly sought-after, spreading throughout the Mediterranean region before becoming a cornerstone of Roman decoration.

The discovery at Domus Aurea also revealed additional artistic materials, including yellow ochre pigments preserved in an amphora.

Various red pigments were also found at the site, including realgar and red earth, demonstrating the diverse palette used in the palace’s decorations.

Egyptian blue became a favourite among ancient Rome’s finest artists, prized for its versatile artistic properties.

The pigment was particularly valued for its ability to create shadows and depict intricate folds in garments.

Artists also utilised the distinctive blue to add luminous highlights to eyes and create an overall glowing effect in their artwork.

The widespread popularity of this pigment throughout the Roman Empire underscores its importance in ancient artistic techniques.

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