Erected after the Great Fire of Rome of 64 AD, the Domus Aurea (which means golden house) was emperor Nero’s residence just before he committed suicide in 68 AD. Vast and sumptuous, it covered nearly 250 hectares and had an artificial lake, a wood and some gardens in its inside.

It was a brick house with opulent furnishings and the paintings of Fabullus, a famous artist of the time. Some report that inside the house there was a rotating mechanism that moved the ceiling of the dome, simulating the sky movement according to ancient astronomy. Nowadays, the complex preserves a high number of rooms that we can still admire, such as the splendid sala Ottagonale and the sala della Volta Dorata. The complex is currently close because of ongoing restoration works.