The Plutonium also known as the Temple of Pluto or Prytaneum is one of the lesser-known buildings of Villa Adriana, and is located in the area of the Inferi (Underworld), which has never been open to the public.
The name is obviously fictitious and was created by antiquarian authors such as Piranesi, to whom we owe the identification with a supposed temple of Pluto, because it was linked to the Underworld and therefore to the infernal divinities.
This hypothesis was questioned by Salza Prina Ricotti who thought of a non-Templar destination. The most detailed study dates back to 2004 and is by Moricca and Pagano, with updated plan and photographs. The other plans, including that of Salza Prina Ricotti, copy the errors of Piranesi who reconstructed the complex based on mirror symmetry.
Mosaic fragment with triangles
Function and meaning
Currently only the substructures are visible, which serve to level the ground, and very little of the elevation and mai floor, where an internal portico has been identified, with remains of polychrome mosaic bordered by triangles in very poor condition. This suggests that the building was for residential use, surrounded by a vast garden. We know that many precious marbles were found on the site, therefore it belonged to thee noble quarters of the Villa.
The floors were studied by Valentina Vincenti and a study project is currently underway by the Universities of Pavia, Oxford, Palermo and Camerino which hopes to be able to excavate the building.
Bibliograhy
2004: Moricca F. - Pagano F. "Una nuova proposta interpretativa per il cosiddetto Plutonio di Villa Adriana" in I Beni Culturali, anno XIi nn. 4-5 2004, pp. 10-28.
2013: Vincenti V. "I mosaici del Plutonio di Villa Adriana" in Atti del XVIII Colloquio dell’Associazione Italiana per lo Studio e la Conservazione del Mosaico (Cremona, 14-17 marzo 2012) a cura di C. Angelelli, Tivoli, 2013, pp. 749-758.
https://www.academia.edu/35561986/I_mosaici_del_Plutonio_di_Villa_Adriana
2015: Melfi M., Montali. G., Schettino A. Il progetto Plutonium di Villa Adriana: prime considerazioni a margine del nuovo rillievo e prospettive di ricerca.
On line: https://www.academia.edu/67507411/Melfi_M_Gorrini_M_E_Montali_G_Il_progetto_Plutonium_di_Villa_Adriana_prime_considerazioni_a_margine_del_nuovo_rilievo_e_prospettive_di_ricerca_
2018: Bombardini E. - Succi C. Il Giardino segreto di Adriano, Proposta di una nuova musealizzazione dei luoghi e dei percorsi all'interno di Villa Adriana. Tesi di laurea in Architettura per l'Archeologia. Bologna Anno accademico 2017-2018
https://amslaurea.unibo.it/18204/1/Il%20Giardino%20Segreto%20di%20Adriano%20.pdf
2019: Ghezzi A. - Scettino A. - Pierantoni PP et Al, Reconstruction of a Segment of the UNESCO World Heritage Hadrian’s Villa Tunnel Network by Integrated GPR, Magnetic–Paleomagnetic, and Electric Resistivity Prospections.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334653770_Reconstruction_of_a_Segment_of_the_UNESCO_World_Heritage_Hadrian's_Villa_Tunnel_Network_by_Integrated_GPR_Magnetic-Paleomagnetic_and_Electric_Resistivity_Prospections
2020: Gorrini M.E. - Melfi M. - Montali G., 2020 = "Tivoli. Hadrian's Villa: the Plutonium Project (Comune di Tivoli provincia di Roma, Regione Lazio)" in PBSR 2020 Vol 88 pp. 362-364 (Papers of the British School at Rome ).