Places: The amazing residence of Emperor Hadrian

The Emperor Hadrian

 Once upon a time, 19 centuries ago (more or less), there was a Roman Emperor called Adriano.
When Adriano inherited the throne he was 42, he was tall, strong and handsome....



At that time, the Roman Empire was at its greatest extent from east to west and he liked to travel through his territories to inspect them but as a tourist too.
Yes, he didn't want to have many worries, so he decided to stop the empire expansion and just established strong boundaries to his empire (like the Hadrian's wall in England).

He loved the culture and philosophy.
Yes, he always wanted to look like a Greek philosopher, that's why  he is often portrayed in statues and on coins with a full beard, which at the time of his reign was a Greek Custom, most Roman Men preferring to be clean shaven.

Antinoo
Hadrian's Lover 

Vibia Sabinia
Hadrian's Wife

Some gossip : he was happily married to Vibia Sabina, but his great love was a young man, Antinoo.

Don't tell this... but they say that when the boy who is thought to have been the only true love of Hadrian's life was found drowned in the Nile, it sent the Emperor into a swell of grief so mighty that it altered the Roman world.






During his travels Emperor Hadrian was so impressed by the architecture of the Greek and Egyptians, that he wanted to create a summer residence with monuments resembling those he had seen during his time east.

So, he decided to build a wonderful estate where he could go to escape the pressures of his position.



He choose a place near Tibur (now Tivoli), 25 km (16 miles) northeast of Rome.
On an area about 120 ha (300 acre) large, in just 15 years he built :

• a palace
• bathhouses
• a theatre
• a basilica
• libraries
• statues
• pools
• room for staff and guests
• heating and cooling systems

Oh, there was a SPA for his guests but also for his slaves, too.

Servants lived in underground quarters so that visitors would never be able to see them.

The Canopus

He built the glorious Canopus, a colonnade consisting of a series of pillars and arches over Greek-style sculptures which surround a long lake.
At one end of the lake, protruding from the hillside, stands the Temple of Serapis.








Perhaps the most famous building of the villa is the Maritime Theatre. You will see the magical curved portico in front of the building in front of which a moat that surrounds a small island. As legend has it, the theatre was designed by Hadrian himself as a place to relax in peace, reading his preferred books and meditating about life… lucky him.

Hadrian's Villa is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and important cultural and archaeological site.

Where is it.

Villa Adriana is located by Tivoli, about 40 minutes from Rome.

How to arrive from Rome with public transport:
• Underground line B, Ponte Mammolo stop and bus Co.Tral direction Via Prenestina, stop at 300 m. from the site, or bus Co.Tral direction Via Tiburtina, stop at 1 km from the site, or bus Co.Tral direction Tivoli/highway A24, stop at 1 km from the site
• train FS stop at Tivoli's station and bus line CAT number 4, stop at 300 m. from the site

Visiting hours.
Opening hours from 9 am to one hour before sunset:
9am-5pm from January 2 to January 31
9am-6pm from February 1 to February 28
9am-6:30pm from March 1 to 24
9am-7pm from last Sunday of March to April 30
9am-7:30pm from May 1 to August 31
9am-7pm from September 1 to September 30
9am-6:30pm from October 1 to last Saturday of October
9am-5pm from last Sunday of October to December 31
Closed January 1, December 25. Ticket office closes one hour and half before closing time

Tickets.
Adults
€ 6,50 + € 2,50 for exhibitions + € 1.50 (booking fees)+ € 2.00 (agency fees)

REDUCED FEE for European Union members between 18 and 24 years old and for the civil European Union teachers
€ 3,25 + € 2,50 for exhibitions + € 1.50 (booking fees)+ € 2.00 (agency fees)

FREE ENTRANCE for persons under 18 and over 65 years old from the European Union