Hadrian's Villa
By all accounts, Hadrian was a modestly built man with big ideas, and he achieved most of them in his lifetime; how many people can say that? Publius Aelius Hadrianus left for future generations to marvel at, a complex (villa is a gross understatement) of some 80 hectares (200 acres) that was to be his alternative seat of government as emperor. Built between 125 and 134 AD (Hadrian ruled from 117-138 AD), during much of which Hadrian was abroad, his villa is in the countryside at Tivoli, about 30 kilometres (18.6 miles) from Rome proper.
Designed to include all cultural aspects of his empire, the ruins show us statuary from ancient Greece and other Mediterranean and early European civilizations; it has been likened to an empire in miniature.
Thousands of humans were expected to reside and work at Hadrian’s Villa. It was a microcosm of a city, filled with members of the court, officials, the military, administrators, and all their families, as well as servants and slaves engaged in the support of all these people. What remains is both sad and beautiful. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.