Hadrian Villa Wheelchair Accessible Tours Rome Day Trip

Ordered by Emperor Hadrian as his residence from 117 AC, the villa was built on the basis of an existing building owned by the wife Vibia Sabina, who formed the nucleus.

Built near the capital on the Monti Tiburtini, about 28 km from Rome, was reachable through the Via Tiburtina or Via Prenestina, or by navigating the Aniene river.

The area chosen was full of water and near the main four of the ancient aqueducts that served Rome ( Anio Vetus, Anio Novus, Aqua Marcia and Aqua Claudia ).

Nearby there still exists the sulfur mineral water spring of Albule waters ( at the present Bagni di Tivoli ), known and much appreciated by the emperor.

Roman Villas

Domus and Roman villas were divided into environments with precise functions and according to a repeated pattern and seen for example in the Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii or the Villa di Poppea at Oplontis ( Torre Annunziata ).

But Hadrian's Villa, while taking up the language and the traditional architectural iconography, was designed in a different and original way.

In his home, the Emperor wanted to reproduce places and monuments that had fascinated him during his many travels.

Touring Hadrian Villa

In the villa you can see the Pecile, a huge garden surrounded by a porch with a central pool and used for summer and winter walks.

The Canopo, a long basin of water decorated with columns and statues that culminates with a temple surmounted by a cupola into wedges, the remains of two spas: the Great Baths and the Small Baths.

These were equipped with frigidarium ( ice rooms ) open pit and a round room with a coffered dome where it opened five large windows.

Decorated with precious stucco, these buildings were dedicated to the imperial family and its guests.

Among the relatively well preserved places of the villa there are the Academy, the Stadium, the Imperial Palace, the Hall of the Philosophers, the Greek Theater and the Golden Square, a majestic structure that had features of representation and contemplated a large peristyle decorated with fine stucco.

The beautiful Maritime Theater is a sort of island with an Ionic colonnade surrounded by a canal and visible for wheelchair users Hadrian Villa accessible tours Rome.

It was there that the Emperor took refuge to think.