Domus Flavia

High up on Palatine Hill is where many of Rome's most famous characters lived. The best preserved buildings are the House of Augustus and the House of Livia, his wife. Apparently, Augustus lived a frugal life but the following emperors disregarded his example and created extravagant lifestyles for themselves and their families. The extensive ruins are those built by Domitian, Domus Augustana and Domus Flavia, the two wings of his palace.

When we walked throughout Palatine, being able to identify the ruins helped a lot when seeing them, as opposed to just standing there looking at really old buildings. Two unique things that are part of the ruins are fountains contained in the Domus Flavia, the official wing of the palace. One is in the shape of an oval, located in a spot where it could easily be seen from the dining hall of the palace. Up close, it actually reminds me of a ship for some reason, but one can definitely tell it could have been a source of beauty. On the other hand, one wouldn't know that the octagonal fountain in the courtyard was a fountain, just by looking at it today. It seems very shallow and not what one would expect.

Seeing the dried up fountains reaffirms the fact that they have been part of the aesthetics of Rome for centuries, not just the more recent creations like the Trevi Fountain or the Fountain of the Four Rivers.

1. Publishing, DK. Rome (Eyewitness Travel Guides). New York: DK Travel, 2006.