Villa Adriana Tivoli - TEATRO MARITTIMO

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VILLA ADRIANA by MARINA DE FRANCESCHINI

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MARITIME THEATER

One of the iconic buildings of the Villa, for the emperor only

©MarinaDeFranceschini - Progetto Accademia

26 - MARITIME THEATER

Description

The Maritime Theater is a masterpiece of ancient Roman architecture, one of the most extraordinary and original buildings of Villa Adriana. It was a small miniature villa built on an artificial islet in the center of a circular channel.

The entrance is from the north with the portico TM1, leading into an atrium paved in opus sectile onto which two large rectangular niches TM3 and TM4 open.

From there a large circular portico is accessed: it had Ionic columns, was paved in mosaic, and surrounds a circular channel, in the center of which is the round island where the actual building stands.

View of the Maritime Theater

Originally the island was accessed via two small rotating bridges, of which traces remain on the bottom of the canal. At the center was the inner garden TM33 with a fountain, surrounded by a curved portico, onto which various rooms opened. Its columns supported a frieze with sea monsters which was found in the sixteenth century: some fragments belonged to Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, others are in the Vatican Museums.

On the south side was the triclinium TM20 flanked by the twin rooms TM22 and TM18, near which were two small single latrines TM23 and TM17.

On the west side is a miniature thermal plant with the caldarium in rooms TM10-11 and 14. TM13 was the frigidarium, with the basin for cold water TM13a from which it was possible to descend with a few steps into the circular channel TM6.

On the east side, on the other hand, was the sleeping area, with two cubicles TM24 and TM29 equipped with alcoves for the beds and single latrines.

From the TM5 portico, the stair TM34 went up to the Courtyard of the Libraries. In TM35 it is a large niche visible from the entrance, with a perspective view, where a statue could have been placed. Corridor TM36 to the west led towards the Philosopher’s Hall, and gave access to the service rooms TM37 and TM38.

Fragment of the frieze with Marine monsters

Function and meaning

The complex and curvilinear architecture, the opus sectile floors, the single latrines and the rich marble decoration with friezes depicting sea monsters prove that the building belonged to the noble quarters of the Villa.

It was a miniature villa within the Villa and the rotating bridges suggest that it was the most private quarter, the “buen retiro“ where the emperor could completely isolate himself from the world.

The strangest hypotheses have been made about this iconic building, for example that it was a sanctuary of the Delphic ritual or of other cults. In reality, as its structures show, it was a miniature villa, equipped with all the traditional elements of a Roman domus. Atrium, internal garden, bedroom triclinium and even a small thermal plant.

Ueblacker's book with Caprino's study on friezes are excellent and well documented.

Marina De Franceschini, Villa Adriana. Mosaici, pavimenti, edifici. Roma 1991, pp. 185-198 and 428-436.

Bacchielli 1991; Caprino 1985; Ueblacker 1985