https://www.realmofhistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Superb_Animations_Hadrians-Villa_3D_Reconstructed_1-180x101.jpg 180w, Last month we harped about how the ‘eternal city’ of Rome arguably reached its architectural peak in early 4th century, as is demonstrated by this incredible animated video that represents most of the famed landmarks. But interestingly enough, one of the greatest architectural marvels of the Roman empire in its apical stage (in 2nd century AD), was not actually constructed within the actual city of Rome. We are of course talking about
Villa Adriana or Hadrian’s Villa, a grandiosely conceived scope that fused architecture, sculptures, landscaping and natural resources available in the local area. Situated in present-day Tivoli, the magnificent retreat is located 28 km (17.4 m) away from Rome, and it was originally constructed between 117 – 134 AD.Now from the perspective of sheer area encompassed by the Hadrian’s Villa complex, the term ‘villa’ doesn’t really do the justice. That is because, by-and-large, Hadrian’s Villa was an imperial palace (for at least Emperor Hadrian from 128 AD till the end of his life in 138 AD) with Rome’s large court living on the expansive grounds all throughout the year. And other than just the ambit of the palace, Hadrian’s Villa flaunted an assortment of architectural and sculptural specimens that went beyond conventional spatial elements to morph into strikingly opulent displays, ranging from theaters, libraries, round pools, dining halls, baths to even a private ‘island’ of sorts that housed the emperor’s private studio. All of these translate to over 30 buildings inside a massive complex of around 250 acres, with the constructions proudly showcasing different architectural orders, including classical Greek and Egyptian styles.
https://www.realmofhistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Superb_Animations_Hadrians-Villa_3D_Reconstructed_2-300x265.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" />An overview of the sprawling complex of Hadrian’s Villa. The ‘Canopus’ is on the upper-end of the image, while the ‘Pecile’ with its gardens is on the right-side of the picture.
To that end, one of the picturesque architectural elements pertains to the so-called Canopus, a longitudinal pool named after an Egyptian city. However, in spite of its Egyptian moniker, the pool (measuring 119 by 18 meters or 390 ft x 60 ft) represents the very best of what ancient Greek style had to offer – with the array of Corinthian columns and famous Greek and Egyptian statue replicas (along with original Roman pieces). This is complemented by the
Serapeum, an outdoor dining area of sorts, once again named after an Egyptian temple. This curious structure flaunted ‘built-in’ water cascades that were directly connected to Hadrian’s private aqueduct.One of the other grand arrangements inside the Hadrian’s Villa related to the Pecile, which basically constituted an artificial terrace (50 ft high) with lower level rooms and an expansive upper level. The rooms were accessible from wooden balconies, and were used as both storage spaces and quarters for the villa’s service crew. However, on the upper level, the Pecile boasted a humongous walled garden area with covered walkways and a swimming pool. This entire terrace constituted an area of around 232 by 97 meters (or 760 ft x 318 ft) – thus equating to an area that was more than four American football fields!
As for impressive verticality of structures, the Hadrian’s Villa also demonstrated its prowess through the so-called Roccabruna (a modern name) temple with its array of Doric columns (as opposed to the more ‘floral’ Corinthian columns). Dedicated to Isis, the goddess of heaven, this temple comprised a rotunda structure that was almost two-thirds the size of the Roman Pantheon. Intriguingly enough, beyond size and pomp, the
Roccabruna has baffled many a historian due to its intricacy. In that regard, the very statue of Isis (now displayed in a museum in Rome) was placed in a such manner (and angle) inside the temple so that it could turn resplendent on days of summer-solstice – thus corresponding to her ancient festival in Rome during the particular time of year.The fabulously contrived animation below showcases these architectural elements (along with many others) of the Hadrian’s Villa in their crisp 3D rendered details. The video was created by The Digital Hadrian’s Villa Project, an endeavor undertaken by the Virtual World Heritage Laboratory.
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