Ancient Roman Emperor Augustus first house opens in Rome

Marvels and modesty of Augustus revealed

Tom Kington in Rome
Monday March 10, 2008
The Guardian

Crowds climbed Palatine Hill in Rome yesterday to get a sneak preview of the house of the emperor Augustus, which officially opens today after decades of painstaking restoration.
Lived in by Augustus before he became Rome's first emperor in 27BC, the house is situated above the grotto where Romans may have worshipped Romulus, the city's founder, and was also handy for watching horse racing in the Circus Maximus at the foot of the hill. "Augustus wanted to be near the grotto, but could also see the races from up here," said Italy's culture minister, Francesco Rutelli.

The restoration, begun after the house was found in the 1970s, has reconstructed shattered frescoes in deep reds, yellows and blues featuring theatrical masks and mythical animals. "The extremely high quality of the frescoes befits the owner, although these were the fashions of the time and don't offer much insight into Augustus's individual taste," said Angelo Bottini, Rome's archaeological chief.

Tourists - who will be allowed in five at a time - may be surprised to see how modest the study, bedroom, entrance hall and dining room were. Augustus, Julius Caesar's great nephew, avoided excess in his private life, although he did build a large mausoleum for himself in Rome, based on Alexander the Great's in Egypt, which archaeologists hope to reopen next year.