Golden House of Nero
The Golden House of Nero is a palace and park complex in Rome, which began construction after the devastating fire of 64 AD. This is the largest urban residence of a monarch ever to exist in Europe, but is smaller in area than the Forbidden City in Beijing. This place has a special atmosphere.
History of the Golden House of Nero
This is the result of the embodiment of the idea of a vain ruler. The main characters in the construction of this luxurious palace and park complex were the architect Severus, the engineer Celer, the fresco artist Fabullus and, of course, the emperor himself, who supervised the entire project, paying attention to every detail.
As a result, about 100 rooms were located on 80 hectares, including more than 300 rooms with many sculptures and statues, atriums and fountains. The Golden House of Nero housed festive pavilions, thermal baths with sulfur and mineral water, and numerous banquet halls. In addition, large areas were occupied by gardens, forests, meadows, ponds and pools.
Description of the Golden House of Nero
The architecture itself is amazing: brick walls made of different types of marble stood out with gilded trim; the stucco ceilings were inlaid with precious materials, and the halls for celebrations were distinguished by sliding vaults reaching a height of 10-11 m, through which flower petals could be showered on all those present or enchanting incense could be sprayed. The eastern part of the complex is notable for the presence of a special octagonal hall with a ceiling in the form of a vault of heaven with the ability to rotate without stopping, imitating the movement of heavenly bodies.
During the construction of Nero's Golden House, some innovations were introduced. For example, for the first time, domes and arched structures were created using cement, mosaic masonry began to be used not only on floors, but also on vaulted ceilings, and the work of the first elevator in history became a real technological breakthrough.
The talented artist Fabull did the wall painting and ceiling painting. He managed to achieve extraordinary unity of the most complex compositions and demonstrate a delicate, elegant approach to performance. His works are based on subjects from mythological tales and scenes based on the Trojan War, so beloved by Nero.
Nothing lasts forever
During his lifetime, Nero did not completely complete the construction of his palace. Otho, who ruled later, tried to complete what he started, but did not have time. But the new emperor Vespasian did not want to spend public money on this. Nero's Golden House was abandoned, and after a second fire it completely disappeared. In its place arose the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Arc de Triomphe and other buildings.
From 2006 to the present, the complex has been under reconstruction. Tourists are presented with the ruins of the walls on the Esquiline Hill, the same octagonal hall and underground rooms. But with the help of modern technologies, visitors will see the installation of the original appearance of the ancient largest architectural masterpiece.
