Villa of Domitian

Castel Gandolfo and the site of Domitian's Villa
Plan of Villa of Domitian (Lugli 1918)[1]

41°44′18″N 12°39′18″E / 41.738348°N 12.655029°E / 41.738348; 12.655029

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The Villa of Domitian, known as Albanum Domitiani or Albanum Caesari in Latin, was a vast and sumptuous Roman villa or palace built by emperor Domitian (r. 81–96 AD). It was situated 20 km (12 mi) from Rome, high in the Alban Hills where summer temperatures are more comfortable. It faced west overlooking the sea and Ostia. To travellers on the via Appia it would have made an impressive sight.[2]

It gained a notorious reputation among ancient authors[3][4] from Domitian's rule but this may have been unjust.[5][6]

It was one of several palaces developed by Domitian outside Rome, such as that "at Circeii" (Sabaudia).

Today the remains of the villa are located mostly within the papal Villa Barberini property,[7] the most prominent of the villas in the pontifical estate of Castel Gandolfo, and the rest in the towns of Castel Gandolfo and Albano Laziale. The Villa Barberini gardens are open to visitors.[8]

The remains have not been excavated and a complete plan is not available, hence the papers of Lugli in 1913-20[9] are still the basis of later work.

  1. ^ Lugli, Giuseppe. La Villa di Domiziano sui Colli Albani. Italy: P. Maglione & C. Strini, 1918.
  2. ^ Robin DARWALL-SMITH; ALBANUM AND THE VILLAS OF DOMITIAN; Pallas No. 40, Les annêes Domitien: 1992 à l'initiative du Groupe de recherche sur l'Antiquité Classique et Orientale (GRACO) (1994), Presses Universitaires du Midi, p 150 https://www.jstor.org/stable/43660537
  3. ^ Juvenal, SATIRE 4
  4. ^ Tacitus, Agricola 45
  5. ^ Jones, Brian W. (1992). The Emperor Domitian. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-10195-0 p. 198
  6. ^ Gowing, Alain M. (1992). "Review: The Emperor Domitian". Bryn Mawr Classical Review.
  7. ^ Claudia Valeri, ‘Albanum Domitiani’, Domitian’s Villa in Castel Gandolfo in GOD ON EARTH: EMPEROR DOMITIAN edited by A. R. Cominesi et al. ISBN 9789088909559 https://www.sidestone.com/books/god-on-earth-emperor-domitian
  8. ^ "Villa Barberini and its Garden". Museivaticani.va. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
  9. ^ Lugli, Giuseppe. La Villa di Domiziano sui Colli Albani. Italy: P. Maglione & C. Strini, 1918