Scavi e scoperte nella Domus Aurea (1909-1941): forma e luce negli "atri odiosi di un re crudele"

In the same years in which the archeological excavations of Ostia brought to light blocks of dwellings, new works began to restore and explore the Esquiline pavilion of the Domus Aurea. In the first half of the century (since 1909), significant excavations campaigns took place on the Colle Oppio, leading to the discovery of the eastern sector of the palace, which was little known. The work revealed the planimetric and volumetric articulation of Nero’s residence, promoting new studies and analyses of the royal complex, for the first time investigated from the point of view of spatial layout and construction techniques. While the discoveries in Ostia give new substance to the lost architecture of Rome’s dwellings, outlining a domestic image to match the consolidated one the monumental capital, Domus Aurea’s excavations offer scholars and architects tangible traces (exceptionally preserved) of the noble residence, whose reconstruction, after centuries of reverie, can be anchored in solid data. The great echo in the contemporary historical-architectural debate that accompanied these discoveries led to general reflections on housing and its design implications. Giovannoni, for example, referred the lighting from the top of the halls around the Domus’ octagonal hall as «a solution that could serve as a model for many modern buildings with a large central hall flanked by subsidiary rooms». Today, these observations make us think about the importance that the renewed knowledge of ancient residential architecture have on the architectural experiences of the early 20th century. The aim is to analyze – through new documents – the history, the methods, and protagonists of the excavations involved at the Domus Aurea, comparing their experience with contemporary architectural works to assess the impact of the archaeological findings on the historiographic and design culture of that years.