Nero's Golden Roman Palace to Partly Reopen
Pastor Dale Morgan
Jan 31, 7:39 PM EST
*Nero's Golden Roman Palace to Partly Reopen*
By MARTA FALCONI
Associated Press Writer
ROME (AP) -- Nero's Golden Palace will partly reopen to visitors next
week, offering rare insight into archaeologists' efforts to preserve the
first-century imperial residence from decay and humidity.
Visitors will have access to half of the palace, wandering through a
maze of underground passageways, officials said Wednesday. They can also
climb a 43-foot scaffolding and take a close look at the building's
frescoed vaulted ceilings, as restorers and archaeologists work to clean
the paint.
"People will have the chance to get to know the monument itself and the
efforts to maintain and preserve it," said archaeologist Irene
Pignatelli, leading a press tour of the palace. "The aim of this type of
visit is to show how the residence can be assaulted (by weather), how to
intervene and what happens after the restoration."
Guided tours or no more than 20 people start on Feb. 6. Visitors are
required to wear helmets as they walk through the largely underground
complex.
The sumptuous residence - also known by its Latin name, Domus Aurea -
rose over the ruins of a fire that destroyed much of Rome in A.D. 64 and
was completed in A.D. 68, the year the unpopular Nero committed suicide
amid a revolt.
After an 18-year restoration, the palace reopened in June 1999. Two
years later, it was briefly closed to the public after part of the
ceiling collapsed. The Domus Aurea closed again in 2005 after days of
heavy rains threatened to cause the collapse of parts of the building.
The palace has been plagued by structural problems, including humidity.
In the winter, humidity in the palace ranges from 82 percent to 98
percent, Pignatelli said. "You can almost swim in the Domus Aurea."
High humidity causes the walls to break and creates crusting. Algae and
fungus are also appearing on the frescoes, she said.
Restorers work to remove some humidity - but not all.
"The frescos would suffer even more if all of a sudden the environment
became completely dry again," said Angelo Bottini, the state's top
official for archaeology in Rome. Bottini added that further restoration
is being planned, especially on the external structures of the palace,
to remove earth and tree roots.
The vaulted ceilings were once encrusted with pearls and covered with
ivory - luxuries that were funded by heavy taxation that Nero levied on
Rome's population, said Pignatelli. Marble and other precious materials
were imported from Greece, Egypt and other parts of Asia, while
inhabitants of the area were expropriated to build the 198 acres residence.
"We have to imagine this place as full of light, luxurious, with
precious colorful materials and golden leaves," Pignatelli said. "Today,
we only see what time and decay have given back to us."