Villa Adriano Krasnaya Polyana official. Villa Adriana is the country residence of the Roman emperors. What is personal data

One of the most famous Roman emperors was Hadrian. He gained his popularity as an architect, artist and philosopher. Many famous buildings of that time were built thanks to him. The emperor also loved to travel, where he was always accompanied by a retinue of artists sketching the sights they saw. It is not surprising that a person with such interests in his declining years decided to build for himself something amazing and at the same time calm, conducive to solitude and self-immersion. The villa of Emperor Hadrian in Tivoli became such a structure.

Villa Adriana in Tivoli

The site chosen for construction was a plot that belonged to Adrian's wife. It was located on the slope of the Tiburtine Mountains, 30 kilometers from Rome. It was here that construction of Hadrian's Villa at Tivoli began in 125 AD. Construction continued until Adrian's death. They say that the emperor personally developed the design for his creation.

On a huge territory of 120 hectares there are picturesque ponds and parks. There are also various buildings located here - libraries, a theater, gardens, the emperor's chambers, baths, a museum, a tower, a temple, an academy, buildings for guards, slaves, and service personnel. All the travels of Emperor Hadrian were reflected here; the villa of Emperor Hadrian united Egyptian, Greek, and oriental cultures. The local porticoes are also interesting; they were deliberately lowered so that the emperor could feel taller.

To decorate the villa of Emperor Hadrian in Tivoli, copies and originals of works of art known at that time - frescoes, caryatids, sculptures - were delivered here. The general thoughtfulness of the structure also stands out; everything here is intended specifically for the quiet life of the emperor. Even in order to get rid of unnecessary noise and annoying personnel, underground roads were equipped for carts and people.

Hall of Philosophers

Canopy

Villa Adriana in Tivoli, in terms of its size and number of buildings, is truly a unique structure and a treasure of human culture.

Villa Adriana (at Tivoli near Rome) is an outstanding complex of classical buildings created in the 2nd century. under this ancient Roman emperor. The villa combines the best elements of the architectural heritage of Egypt, Greece and Rome, giving them the form of an ideal city;.

Adriana's Villa was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1999.

This is how she looked in ancient times.

The villa consisted of about thirty buildings scattered over an area of ​​one square kilometer. It is known that the emperor gave them names in honor of those cities of the empire that he visited. Systematic excavations at the villa were never really carried out, but it is from here that some of the most famous ancient statues originate: the Discobolus, Diana of Versailles, Capitoline Antinous, Capitoline Centaurs, etc. Many marble columns were removed from the villa by order of Ippolito d'Este for construction his own villa in Tivoli. The villa was built between 118 and 134. on the edge of a calcareous terrace stretching from the Tiburtine Mountains to the Roman plain. Today, only a fifth of the 300 hectares of the original area of ​​the villa has been preserved. The construction and subsequent maintenance were so extensive that nearby Tibur experienced a great demographic and economic boom. Hadrian's family and his successors continued to use the villa as a summer residence, but subsequently virtually forgot about it. At the end of the 3rd century, Diocletian restored the villa, and later, according to some sources, Constantine I the Great took from there many works of art to decorate Constantinople. A period of neglect followed. In the 6th century, the armies of the Goths and Byzantines set up camps here. Destruction and plunder continued until the first archaeological excavations in the 16th century, when about 300 masterpieces were found, now in museums around the world.
Pechile is a huge rectangular area measuring 232x97 m with a lake in the center, limited by a 9-meter fortification, ending with two-sided porticoes. Currently, only the remains of the walls remain. The porticoes themselves are destroyed. There is an assumption that there could have been a hippodrome on the site of the lake.

Cento camerelle (“one hundred little rooms”) are small quarters for slaves adjacent to the Pechile.

Large thermal baths for men. A vast rectangular area in the background was occupied by a palaestra for outdoor exercises, and nearby there was a spheristerium - an enclosed room for playing ball. In the center of the adjacent rectangular room was a dressing room with access to the calidarium. Closer to the small thermal baths were the tepidarium and laconicum (hot air sauna) in the form of a round hall with an apse. Behind was the frigidarium. In various parts of the thermal baths traces of a double-type heating network are visible: wet based on hot water and steam produced by large boilers, and dry based on hot air from wood-burning stoves. Both steam and heated air circulated in special rooms with a double bottom and through thin channels inside the walls.

Canopy is a reservoir measuring 119x18 m in a valley between hills, reinforced by supporting structures. This structure is reminiscent of an Egyptian settlement near modern Abukir, famous in ancient times for its luxury. Hadrian's favorite Antinous drowned there. Along the long side of the reservoir are casts of four caryatids (copies of statues from Erechtheion) and two sileni.

Along the long side of the reservoir are casts of four caryatids (copies of statues from Erechtheion) and two sileni.

The Golden Square is a large atrium in the north-eastern part of the villa, almost square in shape, measuring 51x61 m with a double portico, consisting in the open part of 60 granite and veined marble columns.

On the back side of the portico they were complemented by brick half-columns covered with stucco. On the southwest side there was an octagonal imperial hall with alternating concave-convex walls. On the northwest side there is an octagonal vestibule with semicircular and rectangular niches in the walls. The sailing dome on eight columns with a central window is quite well preserved. In a small side room of the vestibule, floor mosaics have been preserved.

Four-sided portico with a fish pond on the hillside. Niches for fishermen were carved into the back wall of the pond. On the front wall there were large panoramic terraces overlooking the vast plain.

Mosaic on the floor of the Imperial Palace.

Greek library.

The island villa was a ring canal surrounding a circular island containing a small villa, which consisted of rooms around a courtyard with a colonnade and a relief fountain. Around the canal there is a ring-shaped arched gallery, bounded by a cylindrical wall, along which there are 40 Ionic columns. Initially, two wooden drawbridges, controlled only from the inside, led to the island. They have now been replaced by brick bridges. Previously, the Island Villa was called the Sea Theater.

Hall of Philosophers.

Wall of Hadrian's Villa.

The round temple was partially recreated in 1958 from rubble. In the center is a cast of the Roman copy of the Venus of Cnidus, kept in the Canopic Museum.

Greek amphitheater.

The city of Tivoli is a city in the province of Lazio, on the Teverone (Anio) river, 24 km northeast of Rome. About 66 thousand inhabitants.

Main attractions: the Drener Roman Villa of Hadrian, the medieval castle of Rocca Pia,

the famous Villa d'Este (XVI century) and Gregorian Villa (XIX century).

In ancient times, Tivoli was called Tibur and was connected to Rome by the Via Tiburtina road. According to legend, Tibur was founded in the 13th century BC. e. one generation before the Trojan War, two sons or grandsons of Amphiaraus, Catillus and Coras, and in honor of their brother Tiburt received its name. According to another legend, it was founded by the Siculi or Sicanians, then came under the rule of the Pelasgians and finally submitted to the Latins. Under the dominance of the latter, Tibur achieved a significant degree of power as one of the major cities of the Latin Union and later, thanks to its picturesque position, became one of the favorite and fashionable places in Italy. Tibur was famous, among other things, for its pottery, fruits, olive oil, figs, quarries (in which the travertine with which the Colosseum was lined was mined); there was a cult of Hercules here.

On the outskirts of Rome, in the picturesque expanses of the Tiburtine Mountains, in the vicinity of the ancient town of Tivoli, there is one of the main treasures of Lazio. Villa Adriana, which is today the most unique architectural monument of Ancient Rome, attracts attention with its colossal size. According to archaeologists, the summer residence of the ruler of the empire in ancient times occupied an area of ​​at least 300 hectares, on its territory there were about 30 buildings, luxurious gardens and several artificial reservoirs. It was here that solemn festivities with the participation of high-ranking officials took place, important political decisions were made and the everyday life of emperors passed for several centuries.

Villa Adriana - the centuries-old history of the imperial residence

In 117 AD, Publius Aelius Trajan Adrian, Trajan's cousin and successor, took the throne of the Roman Empire. During the two decades of his reign, Hadrian managed to erect a large number of colossal structures, many of which have survived to this day. They say that the emperor himself created the designs for his buildings, but this fact remains covered with a layer of centuries-old dust and we cannot say with confidence about the architectural abilities of the ruler.
Since ancient times, on the territory near the ancient city of Tibur, whose name today sounds like “Tivoli,” there were luxurious houses of representatives of the Roman nobility. One of these villas, which existed back in the 1st century BC. and on the site of which the emperor subsequently built his summer residence, belonged to the great-grandfathers of Vibia Sabina, the wife of Hadrian.

No reliable information about the beginning of the construction of the imperial villa near Tibur was found, however, researchers, having studied the ruins of ancient buildings, concluded that the work was carried out in at least three stages: in the periods from 118 to 121, then from 125 to 128 and from 134 to 138 years old. Adrian was never able to fully enjoy his creation; the emperor died on July 10, 138.

Over the next two centuries, the emperors of Rome continued to use the villa as a summer residence, maintaining its condition in good condition. However, Adriana's Villa gradually fell into disrepair. There are suggestions that already in the 4th century, Emperor Constantine took many sculptures and decorative elements from its territory to Constantinople, and starting from the 6th century, the Tiburtine government residence was constantly subject to invasion by barbarians.
The first excavations in this place were carried out in the 16th century. Antique sculptures, bas-reliefs and other works of art found on the territory of Hadrian's Villa were moved to museums. Most of them are now kept in the collections of the Vatican Museums.

Architecture of Villa Adriana and its structures

According to the conclusions of researchers, the territory on which Adriana’s Villa was located occupied an area of ​​at least 300 hectares in ancient times. The complex of structures included about 30 buildings for various purposes, as well as recreation areas with artificial ponds and parks.

In addition to the main palace, where the imperial chambers were located, on the territory of the estate there was a Hospitable Court, intended for the praetorians - the emperor's bodyguards, as well as premises for keeping slaves and a barracks for guards.
In addition, at Hadrian's Villa there were Greek and Roman libraries, a large library hall, a hall of philosophers, an academy, several temples and sanctuaries of pagan gods, as well as a theater.

One of the most important components of the life of the ancient Romans was visiting baths, so not a single luxurious residence, especially an imperial one, could do without these buildings. Several bathhouses were built on the territory of Villa Adriana: Small and Large Baths, as well as bathhouses with solar heating. Besides

rooms with hot, warm and cold baths; such facilities included halls for sweating, gymnastics, ball games, special rooms for massages and relaxation, locker rooms, as well as a sports ground for outdoor exercise and wrestling exercises.

To service such a large villa, a whole system of underground tunnels was equipped, through which slaves could easily move without disturbing the peace of high-ranking persons.

And the wonderful villa of Cardinal Ippolito II d’Este, created in 1550, will enchant you with its man-made and natural beauties, numerous fountains, creating an atmosphere of the distant past.

Villa Adriana

Villa Adriana occupies such a vast area and boasts such excellent preservation that it is rightfully considered the most famous villa in the vicinity of Rome. In addition, thanks to the surviving buildings, the villa can be called one of the most amazing and important monuments of ancient Roman architecture.

Its construction probably began in 126 AD, after the return of Emperor Hadrian (reigned 117-138 AD) from a long trip to the eastern provinces. It was this journey that inspired the emperor to reproduce in his villa those places and buildings that most impressed him: the Athenian Lyceum, the academy and the painted portico of Stoa Poikile, the Canobi branch in the Nile Delta, the Tempean Valley in Thessaly.

Although Hadrian's Villa was built on the traditional layout of Roman country mansions, its structure also reflects its owner's passion for architecture: it shows how the emperor gave free rein to his creative inclinations and developed more than one innovative architectural solution. After Adrian's death, the villa came into the possession of his heirs, who restored and decorated it.

The decline of the villa began under Emperor Constantine (reigned 306-337 AD), who took some of the art objects stored here to Constantinople. During barbarian raids, the estate was completely devastated, and in the Middle Ages, residents of the city of Tivoli used it as a source of building materials. Since the Renaissance, many famous artists began to study the ruins of the villa; some of them even did not fail to leave an autograph here. Since the 19th century Excavations and restoration began according to scientific criteria. A model reconstruction of the villa is presented at the beginning of the sightseeing route. Its first stage is the spacious portico of Pechile (modeled on the Athenian Stoa Poikile), in the center of which there is a garden and a swimming pool; Here you could walk for a long time in the sun or in the shade.

From the north-eastern corner of Pechile you can go to the Hall of Philosophers - a spacious room with niches, where there was probably a library.

Next comes the “Island Villa” or “Marine Theater” - a round building surrounded by a colonnade. In the middle there is an island surrounded by a canal, where four bridges led, and on it there is a small villa with various rooms and thermal equipment. It is assumed that the emperor liked to retire here, devoting himself to his favorite activities: music, poetry and painting.

To the south of the “Marine Theater” there is a thermal complex with solar heating: several rooms with pools for cold and warm water are connected to a large circular hall, which is also occupied by a pool; there was a heating system underground, and there were five wide windows in the walls so that sunlight could freely penetrate inside and warm the rooms of the thermal baths. People probably took steam or took sand baths in the central pool.

On the eastern side of Pechile there is a courtyard - scientists believe that there was a nymphaeum here - and several buildings, including a banquet hall. A little further are the Small and Large Baths. All the standard premises for such ancient complexes have been well preserved: an open-air sports ground, locker rooms, swimming pools for hot and cold water.

Behind these complexes you will see a small artificial valley - narrow and long: this is the so-called Kanob, reproducing the nature of the Nile Delta near Alexandria. In the center you will see a pool surrounded by columns, and in the depths there is a semicircular monumental fountain and the Temple of Serapis with Egyptian sculptures and statues of Antinous, a young favorite of the emperor who died in Egypt under mysterious circumstances.

Returning back, you can go through the Pretoria and the Guard Barracks (both rooms may have simply been storage rooms), after which you will find yourself at the imperial palace. There were four main groups of buildings: the Golden Square, the Doric Atrium, the Palace Peristyle and the Library Courtyard.

The Golden Square consists of a large courtyard enclosed by a columned portico and surrounded by a group of rooms arranged around a large octagonal space (where summer banquets may have been held). The Doric atrium is a spacious hall with a portico; it may have once been two stories high. Through the Palace Peristyle you can go to the Library Courtyard; here, around a portico with columns of the Corinthian order, various buildings are located. On one side there are guest rooms, and at the back of the courtyard there were two buildings that supposedly housed the Latin and Greek libraries.

From here you can ascend to the Tempe Pavilion with Panoramic Terrace, a three-story structure overlooking the valley below, designed after the famous Tempe Valley in Thessaly. Further, behind a small grove, there is Fede’s house, built in the 18th century. on top of the nymphaeum, and a small theater with 500 seats for private performances that were staged for the emperor and his entourage.

Villa d'Este

Villa d'Este is a masterpiece of Italian landscape art and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous for its stunning ensemble of fountains, nymphaeans, grottoes, hydraulic devices and musical devices, which served as a model for many European gardens and parks of the Mannerist and Baroque era.

The garden of Villa d'Este is above all part of the magnificent landscape, artistic and historical context of Tivoli. It is located on an area rich in ravines, caves and waterfalls, where the war between stone and water raged for many thousands of years. Powerful structures and piles of terraces are reminiscent of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon - one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and water supply structures, including an underground tunnel, testify to the engineering knowledge of the ancient Romans.

Cardinal Ippolito II d'Este, disappointed at not being elected pope, decided to create a villa on a scale worthy of the courts of Ferrara, Rome and Fontainebleau, reviving the splendor of the neighboring Villa Hadrian. In 1550, he became the ruler of Tivoli and in the same year he came up with the idea of ​​laying out a garden on the steep slope of the local valley, but a full-fledged architectural project for the villa appeared only in 1560. Its authors were the artist, archaeologist and architect Pirro Ligorio, and the court architect undertook to implement the plan Alberto Galvani.

Leading representatives of Roman art of the period of late Mannerism worked on decorating the halls of the palace: Livio Agresti, Federico Zuccari, Durante Alberti, Girolamo Muziano, Cesare Nebbia and Antonio Tempesta. By the time of the cardinal's death (1572), the arrangement of the villa was almost completed.

Since 1605, Cardinal Alessandro d'Este has ordered new work to restore and restore the hydraulic systems and garden vegetation, as well as to introduce some innovations into the structure of the garden and the ensemble of fountains.

Another stage of work was carried out in 1660-70, and it is notable for the fact that Gian Lorenzo Bernini himself took part in it.

In the 18th century due to the lack of proper maintenance, the villa fell into disrepair, and when it came into the possession of the Habsburg house, the situation became even worse. The garden gradually became overgrown, the fountains were turned off and out of order, and the collection of ancient statues, collected in the era of Cardinal Ippolito, was divided and taken away in different directions.

The villa remained in this state until the mid-19th century, when Cardinal Gustav von Hohenlohe, who took it on a long-term lease from the Dukes of Modena in 1851, initiated work to restore the complex. Soon the estate again became the center of cultural life: from 1867 to 1882. The musician Franz Liszt (1811-1886) came to visit the cardinal more than once, who composed “The Fountains of the Villa d’Este” for piano here. Here, in 1879, Liszt played one of his last concerts.

Villa Adriana (Italy) - description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.

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Not all architectural masterpieces can be preserved in their original form or at least returned from oblivion - the destroyed villa of Emperor Hadrian in Tivoli is a vivid example of this. This place is a real Mecca for history lovers of the Roman era, on the level of the Colosseum or the Roman Forum, although not as famous. Built between 118 and 134, it has reached us only in the form of ruins scattered over a vast area. Adrian wanted to build his country residence away from the bustle of the capital - but he did it on a truly imperial scale.

The construction was so large-scale that it significantly improved the economic and even demographic indicators of the then Tivoli.

Initially, the area of ​​the villa was 3 square meters. km, and the area currently available to tourists occupies only 1/5 of this territory. Once there was a huge complex consisting of 30 buildings, several gardens and its own hippodrome - this was complemented by magnificent works of architectural art. From here, during excavations, many famous ancient statues were found and removed. The Capitoline Antinous and the Centaurs of Furieti, now kept in the Capitoline Museums, the statue of the Discobolus - a copy of it stands in the National Roman Museum, Diana of Versailles, which can now be seen in the Louvre.

Ippolito d’Este also made a lot of money here in the 16th century - he took out many marble columns to decorate his own villa. After the death of the emperor, many robbers visited here - Hadrian's family did not maintain the inheritance in good condition for long. Nowadays, the territory is a historical park - and although there is no place for labyrinths of vegetation, history still lives on. This is acutely felt during the inspection, because many of the buildings are perfectly preserved for their age.

In 1999, UNESCO added Hadrian's Villa to the List of World Heritage Sites as a superbly preserved example of the imperial villa and Alexandrian garden.

It will take a lot of time to explore the beautiful island villa, walk along the Kanopa pond and go to the thematic museum - and this is only an obligatory part of the program of every self-respecting tourist. But you can also take a tour of the ruins of ancient libraries and temples, explore large and small baths, or go up to the large panoramic terrace, which offers a magnificent view. In general, it is better to budget more than one hour for your visit.

Practical information

Address: Tivoli, st. Largo Marguerite Yourcenar, 1.

The complex is open from 9:00 until sunset - this time varies depending on the date, you can check it on the official website. Ticket price - 8 EUR; for an EU citizen - 4 EUR, on the first Sunday of every month admission is free.

Tivoli is a popular tourist destination and is frequently served by public transport from Rome. You can get to the city by train from Termini Station, and to the villa by bus from the central square.