The Villa Adriana, Hadrian's villa, in Tivoli, neighbor Roma, It is admirable from the formation of its walls to the design of its gardens through the planning of its buildings and infrastructure and the richness of its architecture and urbanism. In the year 1999 is recognized and incorporated by the UNESCO, as a monument of patrimonial value of humanity.
To get to the town from Roma They travel 28 kilometers, First for the A24, then E80 until Merulino colle, where we deviate to the left by Vía Maremma Inferiore (Sp51a) until Via Antonio Marziale Where we must turn right to Via Rosolina and then right again by Via de Villa Adriana that leads us directly to the entrance parking. From there go on foot to the entrance: Archaeological área of Villa Adriana – Long Marguerite Yourcenar 1
This town owes its name to Emperator Adriano, who, in principle, In the second century, I would have created it as a resting place and which I later use as a residence, moving there part of his government and servers men. Although it was later used by other rulers, As the Roman Empire fell, The villa also declined and its deterioration was growing. Some of its architectural and decorative elements were then used to decorate another villa in the vicinity, the Villa de Este.
Adriano was a pleasant emperor of the art of the various cities and cultures belonging to the Roman Empire, of which he extracted various ideas and architectural forms that transferred to his village, some of which is possible to distinguish even today as are for example the Greek affectedies in the area of the source of the Canopo, what, While his name responds to an Egyptian city, shows elements of several imperial regions in conformation.
The villa was provided with buildings, parks and gardens of a large city. This is how we are not only with residential and administrative palaces but also with hot springs, theaters, temples, library, Ponds, sources, recreational areas, maritime theater.
The call maritime theater It is one of the interesting structures of the complex and could have been one of the first to be built and even speculated that it could have been Adriano's first residence. It is a circular area surrounded by a porch covered by a vault, in the center a kind of islet that was accessed by means of lift bridges that crossed the water that surrounded it. Neighbors to the Maritime Theater, library, patio and palace.
As mentioned earlier, The Villa Adriana had two thermal buildings the calls Great hot springs and the Small hot springs, very close buildings from each other. The big hot springs were used by the nobles.
Las Small hot springs were for the use of service personnel.
Between both thermal buildings the Lobby
To the east of the Maritime Theater Palace is the call Gold Square, consisting of a central source rectangular and on one of its sides an octagonal building covered by a dome. The building also consists with an underground gallery of connection with the palace.
Among other buildings that the town has we find The praetorio, the Peschiera, The Winter Palace. Due to the richness of its architecture and decoration, This building has probably been a residence of the emperor's preference, Behind the residence zone is the so -called pes,, a large rectangular pool with column porch surrounding it.
Praetorium
Peschiera
Other buildings in Villa Adriana:
Surveillance barracks - Policeman
Guest building - Hospidalia
Venere temple
In some areas, the guards that formed the floors can be seen.
The building known as One hundred cameras, It is an interesting structure that saves the slope of the land conceived as a substructure as well as others throughout the village. They are overlapping levels with a maximum height of four levels. Construction of simple architecture where the service personnel of the Villa would be housed and possibly used as storage
The village occupied almost a square kilometer in its splendor, A Little Great City. The buildings were arranged taking into consideration the morphology of the land. In addition to the mentioned buildings we will find among others: The library, philosophers' room, Roccabruna Tower, Vestibule, Greek theater, Temple terrace.
Tunnels
Transiting the Villa Adriana we can appreciate how life was developed in times of Emperor Adriano and other emperors who used it from the second century, Enjoy what the gardens were as well as admiring the architecture and the complex infrastructure that served it that has a series of tunnels that would be used for the transfer of materials and firewood and the passage of servitude and animals so that they did not use the main roads of the town crossing with the nobility. But nevertheless, in 2013 A tunnel was discovered that could have been a secret tunnel for the use of the emperor is in a northeast-east direction and then change its southern address and is larger than the service tunnels
Adriano's town is a good walking option, neighbor to Rome and easily accessible. A walk that can sue a morning or an afternoon to which a visit to the town of East could be added to only 6 kilometers or 3,5 kilometers if you want to take the tour on a journey of some 45 minutes.
After appreciating each building and each compositional element, Walk every street, Each passage in the gardens, Enjoy your air ... like all heritage value work, We take a learning from the town of Adriano. Learning that will probably lead us to take from the work images and elements that we will reuse in some way in our daily lives and in our own home, learning that will remain with us forever.