Archaeologists in Rome announced today the discovery of what they believe to be the remains of emperor Nero’s dining room.
Known as "coenatio rotunda", the circular room was found by French archaeologist Francoise Villedieu in the Domus Aurea (“Golden House”), the emperor’s sumptuous residence on the Palatine Hill.
Dating to the 1st century AD, the room has a diameter of 16 metres and is 10 metre high.
It was supported by a pillar with a diameter of 4 meters, which was connected to the perimetral walls by a series of arches.
The room, whose structure is unprecedented, matches a description by the ancient historian Suetonius, who described Nero’s dining room as a circular, rotating, wooden-floored platform.
According to Suetonius,the platform rotated day and night to imitate the Earth's movement.
Here is a slide show of the room’s remains. To fully appreciate it, just choose the fullscreen mode on the player's menu bar (click on the pictures to advance to the next slide).
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