Hall of the Philosophers
The Hall of the Philosophers owes its name to the seven niches in the apse, as many as the Seven Sages. In the sixteenth century Pirro Ligorio called it "Temple of the Stoics", describing the decoration that he found during his excavations: it was in alabaster and marble, most of all red porphyry, the imperial stone par excellence due to its purple color.
(It was used for the sarcophagi of roman emperors such as Nero and Hadrian, of Constance and Helena, and for the statues of the Tetrarchs with Diocletian).
The walls were completely revetted with marble, but only the holes for the nails (grappas) are left; the pavement is not visible, probably the imprints of the opus sectile marble slabs – described by Ligorio – remain on the mortar.
Traditionally the Hall of the Philosophers is believed to have been a library, and the seven niches were cabinets for books and manuscripts. Their height of m. 1.60 from the ground denies this hypothesis because they would have been difficult to access; in the niches there are the imprints of the marble slabs on the mortar and no signs of shelves.
Function and meaning
The seven niches were obviously meant for large statues, perhaps those found by the Michillis in the nearby Hundred Chambers (Cento Camerelle).
The grandeur of the building and its precious decoration show that it belonged to the noble quarters of the Villa. It could have been a throne room for the emperor's official audiences, which would have found a worthy location sitting in the center of the apse.
SEE: Marina De Franceschini, Villa Adriana. Mosaici, pavimenti, edifici. Roma 1991, pp. 199-201 and 487-491.