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 Dwight Peck's personal website
A month's sojourn in Italy,
Oct.-Nov. 2024
You may not find this terribly rewarding unless you're included here, so this is a good time for casual and random browsers to turn back before they get too caught up in the sweep and majesty of the proceedings and can't let go.
Villa Adriana (Hadrian's Villa) (2)
5 November 2024
Continuing our unfortunately aimless walk through the grounds of the Villa Adriana, we're going up a level behind the Great and Small Baths. We've been to see the Pecile garden, the Maritime Theatre, the 'Hall with Three Exedrae', the Great Baths, the Canopus pool and Serapeum, the so-called 'Praetorium', and we're circling back to the imperial palace complex.
A look back at the Praetorium and Great Baths
The Great Baths, with the smaller women's section on the right, and . . .
. . . what are evidently some of the underground service passages. The entry Vestibule is just across the way.
The Praetorium, showing more of the residential part across the top
The back of the 'Nymphaeum' and a residential part of the imperial palace, with its 'fishpond' on the right. A nymphaeum is a monument or structure, or just a fountain, dedicated to the water nymphs, and apparently there was something of the sort in this part of the palace. At the other side, that building is facing across the Stadium Garden at the Three Excedrae.
The so-called 'Fishpond' -- the 'Quadriportico con Peschiera' -- behind the Nymphaeum part of the palace
Looking down from the far end of the Fishpond, that's the Caserma dei Vigili (assumed to be the fire brigade's barracks) catty-corner behind it.
Across the surviving top of the Nymphaeum building, which . . .
. . . faces the Three Exedrae Building across the Stadium Garden
Back at ground level, we're passing the Smaller Baths (we never got to do a proper job with this one)(alas).
The Nymphaeum across the Stadium Garden
Back to the Three Exedrae Building (inadvertently), and . . .
. . . this time viewing the central courtyard of the Three Exedrae Building from the other side.
Dating back to Republican times?
Another of the exedra 'casinos'
That's a bit offputting.
Once again, the Nymphaeum building and the 'Stadium Garden'
Charging up to the Thermae Heliocaminus again . . .
. . . for a closer look
[We've no idea where that is.]
That's the Caserma dei Vigili, or Firemen’s Headquarters or Barracks
We seem to be passing by the 'Hall with the Doric Pillars' obliviously up to the . . .
. . . arched doorway of the imperial palace. And in the next view . . .
. . . we're standing in the arched doorway -- through that central opening ahead, we find the Hall with the Doric Pillars just next door, with only two of the six visible here from this angle.
Also from the arched doorway, we get to watch some fellow exploring up that path, peeking into the holes.
Sadly, on the far side of that row on the little hillside lies the Piazza d'Oro, the complex of the Golden Square, a major attraction that we missed entirely.
So that's the arched doorway, but clearly we were distracted by something irrelevant, so here's a better version.
Courtesy of Mumbler Jamie on Wikimedia Commons
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Parts of the imperial palace: this is looking away from that arched doorway towards the 'Cryptoporticus with Mosaic Vault'. It's nearly contiguous with the Hospitalia, a row of facing accommodations for guests.
Presumably part of the Cryptoporticus
Still in the imperial palace areas
The Imperial Triclinium (dining room) of the raised palace terrace
The same. It's assumed that because of the unimpressive decorations here and in its other rooms, this cenatio or dining facility was associated with the nearby Hospitalia, the row of accommodations provided for guests rather than for the imperial family.
The Courtyard of the Greek and Latin Libraries at the northern end, and just below, the terrace of the imperial palace.
And now we've unwittingly wandered back to the Maritime Theatre again, oh no. An understandable wrong turn somewhere.
A quick look in again. The rest of our party (Kristin) started back a little earlier and found a different track down to the carpark, and thus got to visit the Temple of Venus part way down the hill. The photographer, alas, did not.
[Seen one Temple of Venus, seen them all.]
So after a not insignificant wait for the return bus, we leave this remarkable place. Having, be it said, missed a fair amount of it (especially the Piazza d'Oro, or Golden Square, oh well).
Once back in uptown Tivoli, one would like to close out this joyous afternoon by having a look at the footbridge that crosses the Aniene river, a small extension from our usual late afternoon raid on the Carrefour Market for 'necessities'.
Past the Carrefour, closer to the river
That's the attractive footbridge over to the very small eastern suburb and, importantly, the railroad station: it's the Ponte della Pace, the Bridge of Peace, nice.
That indomitable lady has been pausing for long moments at every level place on the stairway.
The river at this place is a bit swollen, 480 meters behind the dam that was pounded in at the old crossing, the Ponte Gregoriana, to prevent the low end of town from being flooded out anymore!
That was subtly rewarding, now we're back up to dress for dinner.
It's easy in venerable towns like this to pass right by some of the most venerable stuff without noticing,
so sometimes we try not to.
En route for dinner
Why build a new wall when you've got a perfectly good one right on site?
And why not incorporate an ancient arch if you come across one?
And don't forget to string lights in the ancient covered byways.
Actually, we've overshot our chosen restaurant for tonight, something that's easily done and forgivable.
This is the Piazza del Plebiscito, who would have guessed without the vegetable and flower market planted over every available inch of space.
But tonight, ah yes, back up to the Vicolo Todini and the Taverna Quintilia . . .
. . . good as usual, and festively decorated.
As usual, we've beaten the obstreperous crowds.
Next up: A reconnaissance in the Parco Villa Gregoriana
 
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All rights reserved, all wrongs avenged. Posted 14 February 2025.
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