The Domus Aurea – Nero’s Urban Villa - Virtual Experience 

After the devastating fire which destroyed much of the center of Rome in 64 AD, the emperor Nero began building a new enormous residence, which for pomp and splendor went by the name of the Domus Aurea, the Gold House.

Designed by architects Severus and Celer, and decorated by the painter Fabullus, the Villa consisted of a number of different outbuildings immersed in large gardens, woods, and vineyards, and a large artificial lake, which lay in the valley where the Colosseum stands today. It became famous for the sumptuous decoration in which gold and precious stones were added to stuccos, paintings, and colored marbles. The huge complex included baths with hot, cold, and sulfurous water, several banqueting rooms, including the famous coenatio rotunda, which rotated on itself, and a huge vestibule that housed the colossal statue of the emperor in the garments of the Sun God.

After Nero’s death, his successors decided to erase all traces of the emperor and his villa: the luxurious chambers were deprived of their cladding and sculptures and filled in with dirt up to the vaults to be used as the foundations for other buildings. So they were forgotten and they remained unknown until the Renaissance: only then, in fact, after some chance discoveries, artists with a passion for antiquities, such as Pinturicchio, Ghirlandaio, and  Raphael began to explore what they thought of as “underground grottoes”, bringing the complex to a new life. With the virtual tour, we will explore the Ruins of the Villa as well learn Nero's ominous life and eccentric lifestyle, using digital 3D reconstructions to bring the ancient building back to life! 

HOW DOES IT WORK?

This Virtual Tour is pre-recorded. After purchasing access, you will receive a link to view the Virtual Tour at your convenience. You can watch the video as many times as you like; access does not expire.

The Present Video belongs to The Grand Tour Europe Ltd, and it is intended for pure education and entertainment purposes. All images, videos, locations, and artworks featured in the video are credited to their respective authors and are used exclusively for educational purposes and criticism under the fair use doctrine, with appropriate credits provided in the audio commentary. This video is for personal use only. You are not permitted to play it in public, distribute, or resell it in any manner.