I first descended into Nero’s underground world of the Domus Aurea on my first trip to Rome in 2002. Also referred to as Nero’s Golden House for its once abundant gold leaf, I was awestruck by this ancient architectural masterpiece. I didn’t realize then just how lucky I was to be seeing this magnificent Roman monument. I took for granted that it would always be accessible like any other ancient tourist sight in Rome. In subsequent trips, I had wanted to share this stunning place with friends and family, only to find that the Domus Aurea has been mostly closed to visitors over the past decade. But on my recent trip to Rome, I was thrilled to find the Domus Aurea open once again.
Nero Builds His Domus Aurea Dream House
The eccentric emperor Nero began to build the Domus Aurea in the wake of the great Rome fire of 64 AD. Controversy and folklore ensued. Some historians blamed Nero for starting the fire as a means of getting his way to rebuild a more modern, extravagant Rome, which the Senate had previously denied. Nero in turn blamed the Christians. Nevertheless, ten of Rome’s 14 neighborhoods, approximately 2/3 of the center of Rome, were wiped out in the fire. This catastrophe allowed a bigger and better Rome to emerge – including the Domus Aurea.
Yet Nero’s land-grab of 200-300 acres of the flattened Rome, for the purpose of building his Golden House, riled many. The Domus Aurea covered nearly a third of Rome and extended across the Esquiline, Caelian, Oppian, and Palatine hills. The Domus Aurea was expansive and more comparable to what emperors would build in the countryside, with a vast park-like setting and large artificial lake. Given the magnitude of the endeavor, the resulting Golden House was constructed in an astonishing four short years. But Nero was never to fully enjoy the entertainment palace, as he was ousted as emperor in 68 AD and forced to commit suicide soon after.
Nero’s successors took a more populist view of urban planning. Over the next several decades successive emperors changed, dismantled, and ultimately buried the Domus Aurea in order to make way for new construction. Emperor Vespasian drained Nero’s lake and covered it with the Colosseum. Emperors Titus and Trajan used the Domus Aurea as foundation on which to build their baths.
Only about a tenth of the Domus Aurea’s original 300 rooms are tourable today. Most of Nero’s Golden House still lies beneath major monuments, serving as their foundations. That which remains is proof of the enormous influence the Domus Aurea had on future architecture.
The Domus Aurea remained hidden for centuries until, by happenstance, a young man in the 15th century fell through a crevice and landed in the midst of it. It appeared to be a cave – in Italian, a grotta. The frescos found (referred to as grottesche – the derivation of grotesque) had been preserved by encasement, protecting the artwork from destructive humidity. Renaissance artists were fascinated by the discovery, and the likes of Raphael and Michelangelo rappelled into the underground cave to get a closer look.
The Domus Aurea as Architectural Masterpiece
An extravagant and expansive Domus Aurea is believed to have been conceived purely for entertainment. The myriad thematic rooms contained innovative features such as a revolving dining room, dramatic water features, and new architectural inventions.
Nero had hired the most expert, innovative artisans to bring his Golden House to life. Architect-Engineers Severus and Celer realized architectural elements never before seen. While the frescos of the artist Fabullus had a profound influence on Renaissance artists.
Among the influences of the Domus Aurea…
- Octagonal Room: This domed room with oculus is believed to be the first octagonal room in history, an architectural innovation with a sculptural sensibility and deliberately conceived lighting. This dramatic room features an alcove on each of its eight sides that offered a view in all directions. And it was built decades before the Pantheon.
- Rotating Dining Room: Historians wrote that the continually rotating dining room ceiling was painted to emulate the heavens above. The remnants of what is believed to be the revolving dining room was discovered in 2009.
- Frescos: The Domus Aurea was a key source of understanding Roman painting for Renaissance artists. The painting of color into wet plaster certainly influenced Raphael and Michelangelo – some of their most stunning frescos can be viewed in the Vatican in the Sistine Chapel and the Raphael Rooms.
- Wall Mosaics: The Domus Aurea is believed to have broken with the tradition of mosaics as floor-only design, and it may have been the first to feature mosaics as wall art. This became a widespread technique of Byzantine architecture and can still be viewed in Byzantine-style churches, such as San Marco Basilica in Venice and in the churches of Ravenna.
- Concrete: One of the earliest Roman structures to utilize concrete.
Why the Domus Aurea has been Closed
I didn’t think much of it the first time the Domus Aurea was closed. This is typical of restoration work on ancient monuments. Unknown to me on my first 2002 visit, the Domus Aurea had been closed for over 20 years before 1999. In 2010, when Rome experienced flooding, the structure became very unstable and a large portion of its roof caved in. And year after year it continued to be closed to the public. But I would religiously check with each new trip I would take to Rome.
Finally, this past fall, I saw that the Domus Aurea was open again, just for a few months. But not during the time I would be in Rome. I decided to check on tickets anyway… just in case. And tickets were indeed available on the weekends I would be there.
We arrived at our appointed time with our ticket printouts in hand. Donning hard hats to begin the tour, we quickly learned why the Domus Aurea has been closed for so long. The park that sits above the Domus Aurea has become invasive due to both weight and humidity. Ironically the discovery of the Domus Aurea, which had been preserved for centuries in its protective ancient tomb, exposed the masterpiece to the elements, which now threatens the survival of the frescos.
The park above was constructed in 1871, and then expanded in the early 20th century by Mussolini, including the addition of the current trees. The roots of the trees chosen for the park have descended deeper and deeper into the earth and have begun to break through the walls of the Domus Aurea, destroying parts of the structure. And with each successive rain, the park above gets heavier and heavier and the Domus Aurea structure becomes weaker and more unstable.
In recent years, the restoration has attempted to shore-up the structure with sufficient confidence to allow visitors back inside. But given that the park continues to cause damage to the Domus Aurea, restorationists have determined there is no point in continuing work until the source of the problem is removed. Hence, the plan is to remove the current park and replace it with a one that is about 70% lighter, and to remove the invasive trees. The cost of this restoration is estimated to be about €31 million.
This is costly in a country responsible for protecting and preserving countless important monuments of civilization. In recent years, Italy has turned to corporate sponsorships to undertake restoration, such as with the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain.
Sky Italia provided some starter underwriting to reopen the Domus Aurea, and has encouraged other corporations to make similar investments. But the new clever scheme to save the Domus Aurea is crowdsource funding. To build awareness for the funding need, the Domus Aurea is open on weekends, when restoration crews are not working. Half of the entrance fee goes toward the restoration. Allowing the public to tour the monument provides a key opportunity to educate the public on the need and cost of restoration.
What You’ll See at the Domus Aurea Under Renovation
What can be viewed of Nero’s Golden House today is quite large, but is still only a small portion of the original Domus Aurea structure, given that most of it lies beneath other Roman monuments. You can only enter the monument with a guide. There is significant scaffolding throughout the excavation.
The fading frescos and damaging holes around them, caused by the park above, are dramatic. Long hallways lead to fascinating, high-ceilinged rooms. The guide explains what the rooms used to look like and how they changed after Nero. The climactic moment of the tour culminates in the Octagonal Room that is like coming out of the darkness as the brilliant oculus lights the room.
Supporting the Restoration of the Domus Aurea
In the scheme of things, €31 million doesn’t seem like a huge amount of money to restore such a remarkable ancient monument. I’m actually surprised that this amount of money could not have been fully and quickly raised through some international corporate source.
Crowdsource funding empowers people to have control in saving such important works. The problem is that the Domus Aurea, which sits off the beaten tourist path of Rome, has been closed for most of the last several decades, making it more difficult for large numbers of people to relate to and fall in love with.
Given the reputation of the Italian government, I suppose it can’t be guaranteed that these crowdsource funds might not be used for some other purpose. However, if a lot of people made micro-donations, I think it’s worth the risk. The world has a responsibility to preserve this singularly historic monument as a means of also preserving the history of human civilization.
You can donate online, as well as track the progress toward the funding goal. Unfortunately, the donation by credit card is difficult to use and while it has an English option, it ultimately reverts to Italian. If the system were more simple, clear, and met the needs of many languages, I bet they would get a lot more donations quickly from worldwide sources.
Status of funding…
As of this publication, crowdsource funding has raised only about €18,000 from 103 people.
In January 2016, the Italian government committed €300 million to protect key Italian cultural sites – €13 million is earmarked for the Domus Aurea.
I fear time is of the essence.
Getting Tickets to the Domus Aurea
Buy your Tickets Online:
When I knew for sure I was going to Rome, I went to the Domus Aurea’s official site to reserve tickets.
- Request as far in advance as possible, and not less than one month.
- Tours are possible only on weekends only with groups 25, limited further with only a few tours each day in English.
- Request your preferred entry time on the online form with your payment information and wait for email confirmation.
- I received an immediate automated response when my request was denied.
- I received my confirmed tickets only once the ticket office was open. Therefore, if you are seeking tickets from abroad there will be a time delay.
The Domus Aurea appears to be committing to opening hours only a few months at a time. This is probably because opening times are continually revised based on the changing status of the structure’s stability.
Arriving for Your Reservation Time:
- Leave yourself sufficient time to find the entrance inside the park.
- Entry time is strictly controlled at the gate.
- As you approach your entry time, you will be let in the gate to the ticket office to exchange your printout for a hard hat.
- You will wait with your tour group until your guide arrives to take you into the excavation.
What Do You Think?…
Is it important to support the restoration of ancient monuments – should it be through public or private funds? Is it worth the risk of contributing to the funding knowing that funds could be taken and used for something else?
