House of Augustus

By the Editors of the Madain Project

The House of Augustus (Casa di Augusto) is the western section of the Domus Augusti complex, which also includes what is now known as the so-called "House of Livia" and some other structures.

Overview

In 1865 CE, Pietro Rosa conducted superficial excavation of the Domus Augusti complex, which was part of a larger excavation program commissioned by Napoleon III. In 1937, Alfonso Bartoli did further surveys of the area and found archaeological remnants of collapsed vaults. In 1956, extensive excavations began under Gianfilippo Carettoni. His initial excavations revealed a structure, consisting of a set of rooms, which has now been identified as part of a larger complex known as Peristyle A. He attributed this structure to Augustus based on its proximity to the nearby Temple of Apollo Palatinus. In the first decade of the 2000s further work revealed that the original peristyle was part of a much larger house. A restoration program was completed in 2008, giving the public access.

Notable Architectural Features

circa 30 BCE

Room of the Masks
The walls of the Room of the Masks (Stanza delle Maschere) feature perspective architectural paintings and theatrical masks (inspect), typical of the Second Style of Roman wall painting.

circa 30 BCE

Room of the Pine Festoons
It is a heavily decorated or painted room in the House of Augustus sector of the Domus Augusti complex. It features bows of pines and garlands, very similar another chamber inside the so-called House of Livia.

Gallery Want to use our images?

See Also

References

Let's bring some history to your inbox

Signup for our monthly newsletter / online magazine.
No spam, we promise.

Privacy Policy



Top