About
A lunatic emperor's insane pleasure dome still holds the secrets of his mad imagination.
Nero's city-wide blaze in 64 CE left Rome in ruins, including the homes of its wealthiest citizens on the Oppian Hill. What with their destruction, Nero set out to construct his own luxurious personal playground; the Domus Aurea, or Golden House. Despite never living there full time, the house boasted an array of remarkable features; walls studded with ivory, acres of marvelous marble, manmade lakes, dazzling mosaics spanned across ceilings and a dining-room equipped with a rotating roof that could shower guests with rose petals and perfume. On arrival, he exulted: “At last I am beginning to live like a human being”.
