07-Feb-23
For today's adventure we drove out to walk around Hadrian's Villa.
It's a UNESCO world heritage site!
"Villa" might be a misnomer. This is more like Hadrian's gigantic estate.
There are some nice views here though.
This is the remaining wall of the Greek Pecile, an enclosed courtyard with a fish pond in the middle.
A map! Because this place is huge and one ruin starts to look like another after awhile.
The Small Baths.
If these are the small baths, what are the large baths like? And yes, there are large baths.
A small example of the flooring that didn't get pilfered.
I think this is overlooking the Stadium Garden.
Ah, these are the Large Baths. I see.
Why do little pockets of things last for forever?
That little corner of sculpted ceiling has survived for so long!
Shelf fungus!
Random pentagonal wildflower thingies!
This area is called the Egyptian Canopus.
Apparently Hadrian collected all his favorite architecture styles from conquering the known world and brought them all back to his villa. A Roman Epcot if you will.
Like lots of historic sites, the things remaining outside are replicas.
The originals are all in museums or stored away somewhere.
Like in this museum on the grounds! Which used to be...I'm gunna say were stables.
But I don't remember.
I feel like this photo would be better if my parents ALSO had fruit on their heads.
Columns and cornices and architecture words! Oh my!
Lots of mythological sea creatures on these.
After the small museum we walked out to the Rocca Bruna, which was an observatory or maybe a temple or both?
It had great views from its missing upper floor.
On the walk back down I found mutant acorns.
I think a facehugger came out of this one.
This is the Piazza d'Oro (Gold Square)
A small sample of the floors.
Mom and the pigeons in the Maritime Theater. Spoiler, not a theater. There's an island in the middle with rooms that Hadrian hung out in sometimes.
Cypress lined alley and my parents!
A weird statue thingie that has a French quote on it.
What remains of the Temple of Venus.
Ah! Two ancient relics. A wall from the Palestra and an old Fiat.
Indiana University has a pretty neat interactive Hadrian's Villa you can check out here.
Not going to lie, after walking around here all day, I'm pretty Roman ruins out. I don't really need to see any more ruins. But it was a nice day to be outside and walking around.
