New revelations at Emperor Hadrian's Villa in Tivoli

ANSA.it - News in English - Hadrian's Villa hides more secrets

If you have been to the emperor's villa you know how peaceful it is. As you walk around and find a bit of shade you can also imagine how relaxing it must have been for the emperor. This is true though the villa is really a small city and served as the emperor's place of business away from Rome.

Now there is another reason to go back. Archaeologists have uncovered a staircase under what has usually been called the palestra (or exercise area). It seems that perhaps the area actually marked the original entrance to the villa.

I can't wait to see the new find--open to the public next year sometime.

A time-honored read about Hadrian is Marguerite Yourcenar's Memoirs of Hadrian. For a more academic read try Stewart Perowne's Hadrian. For a discussion of the relationship of the emperor to his favorite, Antinous, read Beloved and God by Royston Lambert. Lambert gives a good analysis of the relationship but also the downturn of Hadrian's character after Antinous' death.



Tom