The Palatine

The Palatine, one of Rome's seven hills, stands between the Tiber and the Roman Forum, surrounded by the Quirinal, Viminal, Capitoline, Aventine, Caelian and Esquiline Hills. Due to its central position close to the river, the Palatine was a location for meetings, trade and strategic control in antiquity. Now, the Palatine is an open-air museum which preserves some of the most valuable treasures of ancient Rome.

The Palatine Hill and the founding of Rome

The legend has it that Rome was founded by Romulus on 21 April 754 BC, exactly on the Palatine Hill. The excavations brought to light Iron Age settlements and graves, confirming the existence of a village at the precise location traditionally associated with Romulus's home.

Augustus chose the Palatine Hill as the location for his own residence. Subsequently, several of the most famous Roman emperors took the same decision to build their houses here, including the Domus Tiberiana, Transitoria, Aurea, Flavia, Augustana and Severiana.

The Domus Tiberiana

The Domus Tiberiana was built on the birthplace of emperor Tiberius, and was subsequently expanded by Caligula, Nero and Domitian, who had it renovated. As of today, the section overlooking the Roman Forum, situated along the road identified as Clivus Victoriae, is the best preserved. In the 16th century, bishop Alessandro Farnese had the Farnese Gardens built on the remains of the Imperial Palace and commissioned Vignola to design them.

The Domus Transitoria and the Domus Aurea

Known as the first residence of Nero, the Domus Transitoria is enriched with valuable materials and beautiful paints, renders and marbles. It was destroyed by fire in 64 AD and subsequently replaced by the Domus Aurea.
Its name is derived from the fact that the residence allowed the "transition" from the imperial properties on the Palatine to those on the Esquiline. Some of the interiors within the monumental complex can be still identified today, including the hall which housed the suggestive nymphaeum and the triclinium used by the emperor to rest and relax, now located below the foundations of the Domus Aurea.
Following the devastating fire of 64 AD, which destroyed much of the city centre of Rome, emperor Nero ordered the construction of a new residence, now famous for its splendour and grandeur, known as the Domus Aurea. The main areas of the palace were located on the Palatine and Oppian Hills. The palace was comprised of a series of buildings separated by gardens, woods, vineyards and an artificial lake, situated in the valley where the Colosseum currently stands. The enormous complex included baths with both ordinary and sulphurous water, as well as a number of dining rooms. The sections of the Domus Aurea that can be visited today are those located on the Oppian Hill, as Nero's successors attempted to clear all the traces of the emperor and his palace.

The Domus Flavia

During Domitian's Empire (81-96 AD), architect Rabirius built a complex on the Palatine which included the Domus Flavia, Domus Augustana and Palatine stadium. The Domus Flavia was the venue for imperial hearings and salutationes, during which citizens could enter the palace and extend their greetings to the emperor.  The imperial salutationes occurred in the Aula Regia, a central area with a semi-circular apse which housed the emperor's throne. Two areas were located on either side of the Aula Regia: the Basilica and the Lararium. The former hosted meetings between the emperor and his counsellors, while the latter was dedicated to the worship of the patron deities of the imperial family. At the centre of the Domus Flavia was an expansive, rectangular peristyle rounded by porticoes, which hosted the magnificent imperial dining room, known as the Cenatio Iovis.

The Domus Augustana

The Domus Augustana was built after the Domus Flavia, at the end of the 1st century AD, as the emperor's private residence. It was located to the east of the Domus Flavia, and comprised small rooms alternating with large interiors surrounding the peristyles. This design separated the few but larger spaces of the Palace from its public areas. The palace was distributed across three levels. The northern section of the Domus Augustana was built around a large peristyle and featured an ornamental basin dominated by a small temple, which was probably dedicated to Minerva, to whom Domitian was particularly devoted. The southern section was located on a terrace, and afforded views of a large exedra, the façade of the palace facing the Circus Maximus.

The Domus Severiana

The amazing Domus Severiana, constructed between the end of the 2nd and the beginning of the 3rd century and commissioned by Septimius Severus, is situated to the south of the Palatine Hill. The emperor had a great terrace built within the domus, complete with an imperial box from which he could enjoy the races held at the Circus Maximus. The Domus Severiana housed several attractions, including the best-known Severian Baths - adorned with valuables paints and magnificent columns - and a monumental nymphaeum known as the Septizodium, built to impress all the people arriving in Rome by the Appian Way.

As part of the works which started in 2017, Acea has renovated the lighting system of the Palatine Hill. Rimanendo in linea con il concept illuminotecnico originale, tutti i proiettori sono stati sostituiti con apparecchi di ultima generazione a ridotto impatto visivo, progettati su misura. This intervention ensures improved resilience to weather conditions and allows for a 15% reduction in electric consumption.
The new system enhances the majesty of the Palatine monumental complex, which overlooks the Circus Maximus with the aim of providing a renewed perspective of the city of Rome from the southern slopes of the hill.
The interiors are illuminated with a neutral light to better highlight the constitutive elements of the properties, while the depth of the spaces is improved with a warmer light.
The modernisation and renovation work included the lighting system of the Domus Severiana, Stadium, Domus Augustana, Domus Flavia and the Pedagogium.

Tiberius's Domus is illuminated as part of a light architecture project which harnesses dynamic light technology (tunable white). This is the first time an exclusive scenario with variations in colour and frequency can be created, which tells the history of the place.
The façade of Tiberius's palace, which overlooks the Roman Forum, is lit by a cutting-edge, LED animated lighting system, capable of modulating colour intensity and temperature, thus enhancing the colour rendering and reducing energy consumption. 

The Palatine Museum is located within the Archaeological Park of the Colosseum and is housed in the former convent of Nuns of the Visitation, built in 1868 on the remains of Domitian's palace.
The museum path is distributed across two levels. The ground floor offers the chance to see the original structures of the pre-existing domus, which have been preserved, and to listen to gain insights about the history of the Palatine hill, from the beginnings up to the 1st century AD. On the first floor, it is possible to admire the finds from the Augustus era and the mosaics commissioned by Nero for the Domus Transitoria.