MUSEO NINFEO

THE GARDENS OF THE GODS

The project

An Umbertine building in Piazza Vittorio collapses and falls into ruin; a new reconstruction project of the building gives life to one of the largest archaeological excavations of the Rome’s Superintendence.
The mission was to build a modern building in the center of the city and at the same time preserve, know and give back to the community the archaeological heritage hidden underground. A very patient work, an extraordinary commitment, a successful bet, a protection model developed by the Superintendency of Rome in collaboration with the ENPAM Foundation.

THE MUSEUM

In the center of Rome, a new museum reveals the Horti Lamiani, the garden of the gods, the paradise of emperors.
The Ninfeo Museum mainly exhibits the structures and findings of an area of ​​the Horti Lamiani, a luxurious residence that lived between the 1st century BC and the 1st century BC. and the 6th century AD. More than two thousand years of history re-emerged from the earth and revived thanks to a project promoted by the Superintendence of Rome in collaboration with the ENPAM Foundation.

THE HORTI LAMIANI

The space that appears before the visitor's eyes was occupied in Roman times by a sector of the Horti Lamiani, a sumptuous Roman private residence surrounded by lush gardens.

REDISCOVERED FACES

As they extracted the materials from the Flavian-era drainage channel, the archaeologists discovered two extraordinary heads made of a plaster of marble dust.

ESQUILINO THROUGH THE CENTURIES

From its origins, the Esquiline Hill, a peripheral area of the city, was used as a burial ground. During the 6th century BC, King Servius Tullius order the construction of the first defensive walls, crossing through this area.

STORIES OF URBAN CONTEXT

Discover the most important happenings in the museum area from the 4th century B.C. to date.

The excavation area

A marble staircase on which the emperors Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius and Nero walked. A square and a monumental fountain created by Alessandro Severo and decorated with sumptuous marbles and statues. Many artifacts found in the excavation tell stories of life. Seeds, roots, coals, deer antlers, a lion’s paw and a bear’s tooth transport us to the sumptuous imperial gardens adorned with exotic plants and inhabited by surprising animals.
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