Where is the glamour? The Palatine Hill used to hold the palaces (that’s where we get the word from by the way) of the emperors Augustus, Tiberius, Domitian and Nero (pre 64 when he played the fiddle, more accurately the lyre, as Rome burnt to the ground.) These were the houses of the richest and most powerful people in Rome. Why can’t I tell? Who was responsible for preserving the ruins and protecting the ancient site? Whoever they were, they did not do a very good job. Don’t get me wrong, the condition is amazing and the current upkeep of the ruins is fantastic, but where did all that wealth go?
We did not get a chance to see the house of Livia, the section of the palace the emperor Augustus dedicated to and built for his wife, so I may not have been able to see some of the intricate decoration I hope remains, but I just couldn’t help feeling confused by the neglect of the earlier periods.
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