Material lime, pozzolana, travertine and tufa
Technique-incorporates both Greek and Egyptian Architecture
Hadrian’s Villa
Hadrian’s Villa which was the royal residence of Emperor Hadrian is locate at Trivoli Italy. The Villa was twice the size of Pompeii and was made up of more than thirty buildings. A number of the buildings were names after palaces and buildings Hadrian had seen or visited during his travels. The Villa also had both spectacular Roman and Alexandrian gardens, which according to Sir Banister Fletcher said in History of Architecture, "Walking around it today, it is still possible to experience something of the variety of architectural forms and settings, and the skillful way in which Hadrian and his architect have contrived the meetings of the axes, the surprises that await the turning of a corner, and the vistas that open to view" (Fletcher and Musgrove).The original consisted of a number of marble statues and mosaics. The site itself consists of the palace which was the center of the villa. The palace had an elongated fountain and a garden which looked over the valley. Surrounding this was the Latin and Greek Libraries. The guestrooms were located on the northwest side of the palace and towards the west there were the administrative buildings, the bath, and the Canupus. Each building was connected by a corridor or underground tunnels that the servants would use so that they did not have to disturb the government functions that were going on. In the picture below one can get an idea of how grand Hadrian’s Villa was.
Representation of the West-side of Hadrian's Villa
Image from: villa-adriana.net
Who, Where and When.
The reason that the Villa may have been built at Trivoli is that it is where there was the largest supply of the materials that were needed to construct the Villa. There was also the creation of a number of baths, pools and fountains which meant that there had to be an easily obtainable source of water nearby. Tivoli had four aqueducts that led to Rome providing much of the city’s water. The reason that Hadrian wanted the Villa built was because he did not like being in Rome. This was partly due to the fact that he was unpopular amongst the Roman aristocrats and also due to his introverted nature.
During this period, it was quite popular for Roman Aristocrats to incorporate Hellenistic art and architecture into their society. One way that this was accomplished was by building Villas in the Hellenistic style. Villas soon became a popular choice for Roman Emperors with many being built. One such villa was Nero’s Domus Aurea or Golden Palace that was located in Rome.
Nero's Domus Aurea villa in Rome
Domus Aurea (Nero's House), Rome, Italy
Unlike Hadrian’s Villa which was made of travertine, lime, tufa and pozzolana. The Domus Aurea was made of brick and concrete that was overlaid with gold leaf. The ceilings were inlaid with gems and ivory. The walls were covered in frescoes with each set of rooms having a theme. The Domus Aurea covered the Caelian, Esquiline and Palatine Hills. It had a manmade lake, a grove of trees, a vineyard and pastoral area for the animals to graze. Nero had a bronze colossal statue of himself built named the Colossus Neronis, it was located inside the main entrance of the palace at the end of Via Appia. The Domus Aurea was not designed to be lived in rather it was created as a place of entertainment. This is why there were 300 rooms but no place to sleep. As of currently there have also been no bathrooms or kitchen areas discovered.
Function
Hadrian’s purpose for creating a Villa was to ensure that he would have a place to relax when he was home from his travels. This was why the setting was crucial when it came to a Villa. Most aristocrats were concerned with how the winds, sea and mountains would affect the comfortability level of their Villa. However, Hadrian chose to build his villa in one of the hottest areas in Italy. Most villas were basically self-sustaining towns that had their own farmland, granaries, wineries and cattle. The fountains and pools that are key to the survival of the Villa are assimilated into the design and layout of the villa. The layout itself is asymmetrical with the position of each building being determined by its function. The baths would be located towards the south-west as this is the direction that gets hottest during the day. The residential areas would have been situated towards the breeze. Temples would have been turned north, and the libraries and areas of labor would have been situated accordingly. In some villas like Hadrian’s there were a number of floors in which the action took place. Nonetheless, each room has a particular purpose and all surfaces are covered with some sort of decoration from frescos and mosaics to sculptures and portraits. Hadrian’s Villa was basically the same as all other villas, except for its size and the architecture that was used.
The Importance of Hadrian’s Villa
Hadrian’s Villa is important not only because of its size, beauty and architectural design. It is also significant because of its history. There is tons or archeological evidence that can be recovered from the site. This would provide Archaeologists, Anthologists, Historians and Researchers with a better understanding of life during Hadrian’s time. The importance in this would be that evidence could be found represent both the lower classes and the elite. This is crucial because much of the information that scholars have has come from either archaeological sites such as palaces or homes of the aristocracy. This would allow scholars to be able to get insight into the lives of the common people from their own perspective rather than from that of a Senator or an Orator.
Works Cited
Adembri, Benedetta. Hadrian's Villa. Milan: Electa, 2000. Print.
Ball, Larry F. The Domus Aurea and the Roman Architectural Revolution. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge UP, 2003. Print.
Bradley, K. R. Suetonius' Life of Nero: An Historical Commentary. Bruxelles: Latomus, 1978. Print.
Fletcher, Banister, and John Musgrove. Sir Banister Fletcher's A History of Architecture. London: Butterworths, 1987. Print.
"Hadrian's Villa." Villa Adriana. net N.p., n.d. Web. 07 June 2016.
"THE DOMUS AUREA - NERO'S HOUSE, ROME, ITALY." Domus Aurea (Nero's House), Rome, Italy. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 June 2016.
