©MarinaDeFranceschini - Progetto Accademia

52 - NYMPHAEUM ABOVE THE CANOPUS

Description

Behind the Canopus, on a higher level, is the Nymphaeum above the Canopus, which has never been opened to the public.

It was excavated in the 1980s by Andreae and Ortega, but the excavation was published in a brief article.

The excavation found the imprints of an opus sectile pavement in the main room and brought to light the walls with marble supports.

It has a main semicircular room, with a larger central niche flanked by six alternating semicircular and rectangular niches.

On both sides there are two rectangular rooms that give access to two small single latrines.

Towards the west, the building has a corridor that ends against the retaining wall of the Accademia Esplanade and was also connected to the subterranean corridor which went from Roccabruna to the Accademia, documented by Piranesi.

Towards the east, however, it is connected with a rectangular building and a staircase that went up to the Praetorium Esplanade.

Nymphaeum above the Canopus. Overall view

Function and meaning

The presence of opus sectile floors and single latrines proves that the building belonged to the imperial quarters.

Considering the available data we can only say that it was one of the many pavilions/nymphaeums that decorated the gardens of the Villa.

Most of all, it was a guarded access point connecting the Canopus to the Praetorium Esplanade, which was also linked to the network of service subterranean corridors.

Andreae-Ortega 1989; De Franceschini Marras 2010; De Franceschini 2012