Reconstructive Plastic model of Villa Adriana
Three-dimensional plastic models have always been the best way to understand
the structure of Villa Adriana, which is as large as Pompeii (about 120 hectares)
and has several different levels and artificial esplanades.
The first Plastic model of Villa Adriana was created by the architect Italo
Gismondi in 1938 for the Mostra Augustea della Romanità (Augustan Exhibition
of the Roman World), and is now in the Museo della Civiltà Romana in Rome (Museum
of Roman Civilization).
Plastic model by Gismondi, 1938
A second Plastic model, known to all, is located in Villa Adriana, and
was also made by
Italo Gismondi in 1956, after the Aurigemma excavations
of the 1950’s which brought to light the Canopus with the statues of Caryatids copied
from those of the Erechtheion of Athens.
Plastic model by
Gismondi , 1956
There are substantial differences between the two models, for example in
the reconstruction of Roccabruna which in the Plastic model of 1938 has
a turret superimposed on the Tempietto; it disappears in the 1956 model, because
thanks to Giuseppe Lugli's study in 1940 it was understood that the Temple on
sop simply had a dome with an oculus.
Roccabruna nel Plastic models by Gismondi
or 1938 and 1956
There are also some other models of single buildings, such as that once visible
in the Maritime Theater.
With the advent of the digital age,
virtual 3D reconstructions were born, which can be found in abundance on the
web.
The most important and complete project is due to Professor
Bernard Frischer of Indiana University (USA) who together with Matthew Brennan created
the Digital Hadrian's Villa Project, and made very accurate reconstructions
of the Villa and its buildings.
Other 3D reconstructions are
due to the architect Michael Ytterberg, author of the General Plan that we use
in this website.
ANTINOEION
n. 48 - Antinoeion. Reconstruction by Salza Prina Ricotti
GLADIATOR'S ARENA
n. 9 - Gladiator's Arena. Plastic model.
GREEK LIBRARY
n. 14 - Greek Library. Plastic model.
LATIN LIBRARY
n. 15 - Latin Library. Plastic model
CANOPUS
n. 51 - Canopo. Plastico Gismondi
FARMHOUSE NEAR THE GOLDEN SQUARE
n. 23 - Farmhouse near the Golden Square. Plastic model.
HOUSE SOUTH OF THE GOLDEN SQUARE
n. 10 - House south of the Golden Square. Plastic model.
FIREMEN'S HEADQUARTERS
n. 24 - Firemen's Headquarters. Plastic model
HUNDRED CHAMBERS
n. 29 - Hundred Chambers and Pecile, Plastic model.
CISTERN NEAR THE LIBRARIES
n. 11 - Cistern near the Libraries. Plastic model
COURTYARD OF THE LIBRARIES
n. 18 - Courtyard of the Libraries. Plastic model.
WINTER PALACE
n. 33 - Winter Palace, plastic model
HALL WITH DORIC PILLARS
n. 22 - Hall with Doric Pillars. Plastic model.
BUILDING WITH THREE EXEDRAS
n. 31 - Building with Three Exedras. Plastic model.
HANGING GARDEN
n. 34 - Hanging Gardens, plastic model
LARGE BATHS
n. 37 - Great Baths. Plastic model
HOSPITALIA
n. 16 - Hospitalia, plastic model.
UNDERWORLD
n. 43 - Inferi - Underworld. Plastic model.
WORKSHOP OF THE ARTISANS
n. 38 - Workshop of the Artisans. Plastic model
MAUSOLEUM
n. 45 - Mausoleum. Plastic model.
PRAETORIUM NYMPHAEUM
n. 42 - Praetorium Nymphaeum. Plastic model.
FEDE NYMPHAEUM OF TEMPLE OF VENUS
4 - Plastic model of the Fede Nymphaeum
NYMPHAEUM ABOVE THE CANOPUS
n. 52 - Nymphaeum above the Canopus
GARDEN STADIUM
n. 32 - Garden Stadium, plastic model
PRAETORIUM PAVILION
n. 40 - Praetorium Pavilion. Plastic model
TEMPE PAVILION
n. 6 - Tempe Pavilion. Plastic model with three levels
IMPERIAL PALACE
n. 19 - Imperial Palace, plastic model.
GYMNASIUM
n. 2 - Gymnasium. Plastic model (red arrow)
POECILE
n. 28 - Poecile. Plastic model
OUTER PERISTYLE
n. 21 - Outer Peristyle. Plastic model.
GOLDEN SQUARE
n. 8 - Golden Square. Plastic model.
SMALL BATHS
n. 36 - Small Baths, plastic model
QUADRIPORTICUS
n. 35 - Quadriporticus. Plastic model.
HALL OF THE PHILOSOPHERS
n. 30 - Hall of the Philosophers. Plastic model.
PRAETORIUM SUBSTRUCTURES
n. 39 - Praetorium Substructures. Plastic model
WEST SUBSTRUCTURES OF THE CANOPUS
n. 50 - Canopus West Substructures. Plastic model
PRAETORIUM ESPLANADE
n. 41 - Praetorium Esplanade. Plastic model, seen from the Accademia
GREEK THEATER
n. 1 - Greek Theater, plastic model
MARITIME THEATER
n. 26 - Maritime Theater. Plastic model.
BATHS WITH HELIOCAMINUS
n. 25 - Baths with Heliocaminus. Plastic model.
TERRACE OF THE MARITIME THEATER
n. 27 - Terrace of the Maritime Theater. Plastico model.
TERRACE OF THE GOLDEN SQUARE
n. 7 - Terrace of the Golden Square. Plastic model (dots).
TERRACE OF TEMPE
n. 5 - Terrace of Tempe. Plastic model (dots)
LOWER TERRACE OF THE LIBRARIES
n. 12 - Lower Terrace of the Libraries. Plastic model (dots)
UPPER TERRACE OF THE LIBRARIES
n. 13 - Upper Terrace of the Libraries. Plastic model.
IMPERIAL TRICLINIUM
n. 17 - Imperial Triclinium, plastic model.
VESTIBULE
n. 49 - Vestibule. Plastic model