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Mussolini discovered Caligula's colossal pleasure ships only to lose them to flames.
It was a shock when Roman Emperor Caligula's two massive boats were uncovered in their opulent glory in Lake Nemi. While their presence was known for centuries, their size and extravagance were thought to be greatly exaggerated. Built to recall the pleasure barges of Egypt in Hellenistic times, the boats nearly covered the small lake. Of the two floating palaces, one had a temple, and both were around 250 feet long and 70 feet wide. Neither had any system for propulsion, and both were laden with marble decorations so that they only moved by being towed around the lake. The boats had running water (carried by pipes etched with Caligula’s name), beautiful mosaics, inlaid ivory on the walls, and bronze sculptures.
