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Grande for nero?

Credit: Marcela Schneider Ferreira/ ERCO

Set within Rome’s Oppian Park, Emperor Nero’s ‘Domus Aurea’ was an emperor crib on lavish scale. Built in 64AD on an 81ha site, the palace, reputedly lined in marble, semi-precious stones and ivory, clearly didn’t meet the epicurean, if nefarious, demands of its owner, who committed suicide just four years later. Embarrassingly opulent, even by Roman standards, the palace was stripped out and buried by Emperor Trajan, who built his own baths on top. Re-discovered in the 15th century, its guests included Raphael and Michelangelo, who abseiled in to view its wall paintings – which, preserved in the dark, remain in remarkable condition. Cue a restoration job, including new kiosk and walkway by Stefano Boeri Architetti, and Erco lighting revealing, in as near to real daylight as possible, all of Nero’s heady excess.

 

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