Ancient Ruins Of Nero’s Theater Discovered Under Garden Near Vatican

Jan Bartek - AncientPages.com - "What an artist dies with me!" The Roman Emperor Nero  (AD 54 until AD 68) reportedly uttered those famous last words before his death in exile.

It has long been known Emperor Nero enjoyed musical performances and had a place where he rehearsed poetry, but the location of the site has been a mystery until now. Archaeologists in Italy report the discovery of ancient ruins that are believed to be Nero's theater under the garden of a future Four Seasons Hotel just steps away from the Vatican.

Image courtesy Soprintendenza Speciale Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio di Roma.

"Archaeologists have excavated deep under the walled garden of the Palazzo della Rovere since 2020 as part of planned renovations on the frescoed Renaissance building. The palazzo, which takes up a city block along the broad Via della Conciliazione leading to St. Peter's Square, is home to an ancient Vatican chivalric order that leases the space to a hotel to raise money for Christians in the Holy Land," the Associated Press reports.

During their excavation, the archaeologists unearthed marble columns, gilded plaster decorations, and rooms used for theatrical sets.

Daniela Porro, the Roman Archaeological Site Manager, hailed the discovery as "extraordinarily significant." This archaeological finding provides a rare look at a stratum of Roman history from the Roman Empire through to the 15th century. Scientists have found "rare specimens of medieval glass goblets, cooking pots to make bread in, coins, bits of musical instruments and combs made from bone, "tools" used to make rosary beads and small insignia of medieval Christian devotion worn on pilgrims' clothing," the ABC News reports.

Gold-decorated stucco was found during excavations at the site. Image courtesy Soprintendenza Speciale Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio di Roma.

Artifacts found include the Roman head of Janus, c. first century AD. Image courtesy Soprintendenza Speciale Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio di Roma.

Archaeologist Marzia Di Mento, who is in charge of the dig, noted that previously only seven glass chalices of the era had been found and that the excavations of this one site turned up seven more.

"In addition, archaeologists found marble columns and gold-leaf decorated plaster, leading them to conclude that the Nero's Theater referred to in texts by Pliny the Elder, an ancient Roman author and philosopher, was indeed there, located at the site just off the Tiber River," the Associated Press reports.

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Officials said the portable antiquities would be moved to a museum, while the ruins of the theater structure itself would be covered again after all studies are completed.

Marzia Di Mento says that the findings will take years to study.

"It is a superb dig, one that every archaeologist dreams of...being able to dig in this built-up, historically rich area is so rare," she told reporters.

Written by Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com Staff