The Golden House of Nero was a palace constructed by Emperor Nero. Also known as the Domus Aurea, he had planned to build this palace to connect with with existing buildings on the Palatine Hill. The motivation to build was due to a devastating fire in 64, which cleared a lot of land for him to use. At this time, he was really disliked because of his slow reaction to the fire, and some might even say that he was the one who started this fire. After the construction of it, he finally felt that he states: “Now I can begin to live like a human being”.
Golden House of Nero
The Golden House of Nero has been considered one of the most grand and sumptuous buildings of its time. It had 2 floors, 140 rooms with ceilings that reached 11 meters high. The palace had been rebuilt to be so spacious that there is even a 120-foot (35 metres) colossal statue that sits in the middle of the courtyard, a pool of water that resembled the sea, and buildings that circled around it to look like a city- just in that area alone.
Plan of Golden House of Nero
The materials used to build this palace were also very special. The walls were sheathed with polychrome marble, ceilings with vibrant frescos, and sculptures with precious stones, ivory and gold. The roof’s were covered in golden tiles. The banquet halls had vaulted ceilings which showered flowers and perfumes on their guests.
Domus Aurea’s Painted Walls and Ceilings
Unfortunately, the palace never stood longer than four years. Nero had committed suicide on June 9th, 68 AD after he was convinced that he was being condemned by the Senate. Time had been one of the factors that had ruined this great palace and its beauty within. Apparently, one of the greatest things about this palace is how we are constantly finding new parts and learning from them during every excavation. Scholars have spent significant amounts of time studying each facade, and discovering new rooms along the way that really exemplify the time period (wars, battles), and to restore the palace to its best that it can be with our current techniques.
Works Cited:
Cartwright, Mark. "Nero's Golden House (Domus Aurea)." Ancient History Encyclopedia. N.p., 01 Mar. 2014. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.
Gurgone, Federico. "Golden House of an Emperor." Golden House of an Emperor - Archaeology Magazine. N.p., 10 Aug. 2015. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.
"Golden House of Nero." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.
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