ICCROM Mora Samples Collection
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Rome, Domus Aurea: MRA-ITA-Rom196

Type Sample Item

Sample ID

MRA-ITA-Rom196

Sample Material Type

Mural painting

Sample Sub-type

fragment

Dimensions (cm)

Length
1.7
Width
1.1
Height
0.5

Weight

weight value (g)
0.9

Geographic Location

Country
Italy
Place
Rome

Site/monument

Italy (ITA)
Rome
Domus Aurea

Historical note about the site/monument

The Domus Aurea refers to a residence constructed by Emperor Nero following the fire of 64 CE. It was built following designs by Severus and Celer and decorated with paintings by Fabullus. The sprawling complex was situated on parts of the Palatine, Esquiline, Oppian, and Caelian hills, and only selected sections have been excavated so far.  The Domus Aurea was an exercise in excess; its name (the Golden House) is a testament to the emperor’s profligacy. Following Nero’s death, the palace was stripped of its valuables and repurposed, only to be rediscovered by chance in the 15th century by young Roman who fell into the Domus through a crevice in the Esquiline hill. The Domus quickly became a must-see for Renaissance artists and antiquarians, and its Fourth Style decorative motifs were studied and admired by Raphael and Michelangelo. Ongoing conservation efforts at the Domus Aurea have frequently led to new findings, including the 2019 uncovering of a previously unknown cycle of frescoes in a chamber nicknamed the Sphinx Room.

Further reading:
Ball, L. (2003). The Domus Aurea and the Roman Architectural Revolution. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN-10: 0521822513.

Wikipedia contributors. (2021, April 30). Domus Aurea. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved May 14, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Domus_Aurea&oldid=1020753947.

Chronological period (sample)

Roman period

Inventory