Education And Travel

If you are looking for a fascinating attraction in Rome, the ancient ruins of the Golden House of Nero have just recently been opened after years of being excavated and restored. This is great news because even though the house was found during the Renaissance period, it took a big recovery effort in the 1990s to finally make it available.

History tells us that after that famous burning of Rome as Nero fiddled, this magnificent structure was built. When archaeologists discovered it, they learned that in its glory, much of the interior was covered with gold, and gorgeous jewels and ivory were inlaid in the ceiling. But you won’t see those treasures because they were stripped from the house after Nero died.

Some trivia is that the palace covered over 300 acres which included a private lake and rich crops and the extravagant house. However, the palace was not really a home like we think of it because even though it had hundreds of rooms, it had no bedrooms. This is not to say that many times people didn’t just pass out and sleep there during Nero’s wild parties.

One artistic marvel that stood at the site was a magnificent statue of Nero. This huge figure stood 40m (130ft) high. But it was moved to the Coliseum, just leaving the bronze base behind.

Time has taken its toll on the Palace of Nero, but it’s still worth taking a few hours to go on the audio tour that is offered. It’s a fascinating and satisfying tour and if you are in Rome in the fall, the city is friendly and the weather perfect.

A great way to take in this ancient structure is through the guided underground tour that goes lets you view the amazing paintings in the vaults and rooms. This is a rare chance to see artwork done by the famous artist Fabullus who used the Pompeii artistic style.

While you might not have heard of Fabullus, he had a huge influence on some very well known artists including Raphael and Michelangelo, as well as Casanova and the Marquis de Sade. Pay close attention because you will see the actual signatures of those fabled artists etched right into the walls of the palace.

The tour will open your eyes to another world as you see ruins still not fully restored, hiding amazing ancient art works. But when you see rooms that look like they did during Nero’s time, the artwork and luxurious design will take your breath away.

You will get to see a diverse assortment of grottos in the underground tour. But when you see the Octagon room, prepare to be impressed. Nero’s obsession with Greek art was easy to witness in this room, which originally held a statue of the Dying Gaul, and is now at the Pallazzo Altemps museum.

But don’t miss out on enjoying the great gardens and grounds during your stay. The organizers also have a replica of the Octagonal Room for you to examine which will give you a real feel for how it was to live in this amazing time in history in Nero’s house.