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Areas and Monuments

Domus Tiberiana

The Domus Tiberiana is the first real imperial palace, built on the north-western slope of the Palatine Hill in the 1st century AD. In addition to the residential quarters, the palace included vast garden areas, places of worship, rooms for the praetorian guard to protect the Emperor, as well as a service district facing the Roman Forum.

This side of the Palatine Hill was favoured by Roman aristocratic families for the construction of their houses because of its easily accessible position from the valley of the Roman Forum, as attested by literary sources and confirmed by excavations.

The first phase attested by archaeological investigations is the Neronian phase, datable to the aftermath of the fire of 64 AD, i.e. at the time of the erection of the Domus Aurea.

The palace underwent several extensions and renovations over time, the most important of which were undertaken by the emperors Domitian (81-96 A.D.) and Hadrian (117-138 A.D.), until it reached an extension of about 4 hectares.

The use of the imperial palace continued until the 7th century, when it was chosen as papal seat by John VII.

After centuries of neglect, in the mid-16th century, the Farnese family built the Horti Farnesiani on the scenic terraces of the Domus Tiberiana, a splendid garden of delights intended to house a new court.

THE VISITING ROUTE

The new visiting route, which runs into the depths of the imperial palace, past the mighty arches of the service district, is embedded in the hollow substructures of the north front, and is divided into seven exhibition rooms, four of which are interconnected, which offer a privileged view of the Roman Forum, while two multimedia rooms on the opposite side house a documentary and holographic reconstruction of the monument. A tactile route accompanies the visitor. As the rooms unfold, the visitor experiences the extraordinary architecture that has recently been restored, the facilities with the imperial baths and related infrastructures, the stucco-decorated surfaces that embellish the so-called Caligula Bridge, with paintings depicting subjects from court life in the background.
The exhibition is arranged according to a thematic vision within the rooms of the substructural quarter from the Hadrianic period, which was intended to house services, retail shops and presumably also administrative activities.

Tickets

24h – Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine

Valid 24h, for a single access to the Colosseum (first and second order) without the arena and a single access to the archaeological areas of the Roman Forum-Palatine and the Imperial Fora, including the ongoing exhibitions

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Full Experience Underground and Arena

Ticket valid for 2 consecutive days, for a single access to the Colosseum (with underground and arena) and a single access to the archaeological areas of the Roman Forum, the Palatine and the Imperial Fora and the SUPER sites. This includes current exhibitions

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Full Experience Attic – Visits with the panoramic lift

Ticket valid for 2 consecutive days for one access only to the Colosseum (attic and panoramic lift included) and for one access only to the archaeological areaa of the Roman Forum, Palatine, Imperial Fora, SUPER sites. Including ongoing exhibitions

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24h Only Arena

Ticket valid 24 hours, for a single access only to the arena of the Colosseum lasting 20 minutes and a single access to the archaeological areas of the Roman Forum, the Palatine and the Imperial Fora and the SUPER sites, including the ongoing exhibitions

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Accessibility and services

Accessible area