The House of Augustus on the Palatine Hill

The House of Augustus on the Palatine Hill is one of the most important monuments of the hill for historical relevance and archaeological interest.

The rooms that can be visited today are preceded by an environment covered by a barrel vault and occupied by a ramp. Although it is only a passageway, the vault is adorned with frescoes with coffered patterns and the walls have decorations inspired by geometric elements. The two small rooms next to the ramp were probably reserved for guests, while the last room, on the upper floor, was intended for the private use of the emperor.

The frescoes of the domus are a splendid example of the Second Style of Roman painting, which developed between the end of the first century. B.C. and the beginning of the 1st century AD; the paintings found in what were once the representative rooms have a more archaic and austere figure. The private rooms of the emperor instead show frescoes with fantastic themes and airy atmospheres, highlighted by soft and bright colours.

Among the latter, characterized by elegant floor mosaics with black and white tiles, there are the "Room of pine festoons" and the "Room of the masks” frescoed with a complex theatrical scene.

Photo credits: Parco Archeologico del Colosseo official site