Posted by Shazarch on 26 Mar 2023

Domus Tiberiana

1st century AD, Rome

Archaeological site

Located in the northwest corner of the Palatine Hill, the Domus Tiberiana stands out for its arches, visible even from the Roman Forum. Although ancient sources do not attribute the construction of an imperial residence to Tiberius, it is confirmed that his house was on the Palatine Hill, a location confirmed by Suetonius who positioned the house on the top of the hill from which the Roman Forum and the Capitoline Hill could be seen. However, the first mention of the Domus Tiberiana was during the turmoil of 69 AD.

The building had an extension of 150 x 120 meters, to which Caligula's expansions towards the Forum and Domitian's towards the Palatine Clivus were added. The remains of the palace are impressive, especially to the north, where they are preserved for about 20 meters in height, which is not much considering what the Domus must have been like. In fact, only the foundations are visible today, while the noble part of the building has been destroyed (covered by the Farnese Gardens).

During the 1st century AD, the palace suffered significant damage due to two serious fires that occurred in 64 and 80 AD. Following the latter fire, Domitian rebuilt the facade facing the Forum, completing the new front with a long loggia and transforming the Domus Tiberiana into an extension of the palace he had built. Trajan and Hadrian continued the work, with the latter building the large arches that span the Clivus Victoriae and bring the Domus up to the Via Nova.

Under Commodus, another fire occurred that destroyed the rich library (home to the imperial archive). In the 8th century AD, the Domus Tiberiana was used as the residence of Pope John VII. After abandonment and looting, towards the middle of the 16th century, what remained of the imperial palace was buried under the Farnese Gardens.

The first excavation work was carried out in the 19th century by Pietro Rosa, who uncovered the northern front facing the Forum, the eastern one up to the Cryptoporticus, and the southern one towards the Temple of Magna Mater. Finally, the latest excavations have shown that the Domus Tiberiana is a complex of buildings that grew over time. In addition, remains of late Republican-era houses that were located on the slopes of the hill have been found.