©MarinaDeFranceschini - Progetto Accademia
From the Great Baths to the Praetorium to the Underworld (Inferi) and Mausoleum
Next to the Imperial Residence (nn. 28-36) there is the area of the Praetorium (nn. 37-45) where noble buildings for the emperor and his court are very close to other buildings meant for slaves and staff.
The Great Baths (n. 37), the Workshop of the Artisans (n. 38) and the Substructures of the Praetorium (n. 39) were built for the slaves and personnel, and are located on a lower level (altitude of 93-95 m).
The noble buildings were instead on a higher level (altitude of 106 m ): there was the Praetorium Pavilion (n. 40) which gave access to the long Praetorium Esplanade (n. 41).
The esplanade had a large retaining wall with buttresses towards the Valley of the Canopus and ended on the opposite side with the Nymphaeum of the Praetorium (n. 42).
On the same level there are other buildings, among the least known of the Villa: the Underworld or Inferi (n. 43), the so-called Temple of Pluto or Prytaneum (n. 44) and the Mausoleum (n. 45).
Only the Great Baths are open to the public, the rest was closed to the public decades ago.