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Augustus times' nymphaeum

by Egenia Salza Prina Ricotti

- The Augustan Nympheum. It was part of a garden occupying the space between the “Piccole Terme” and the “Edificio a Tre Esedre”. The Nympheum had probably been made in Augustus’ time to give a beautiful “Mostra d’acqua” to an old reservoir with which to water the opposite plot of ground. The nymphaeum consisted of two large oval recesses each of which which contained a low cipollino marble basin. They were set between small niches framed by columns that don’t exist any more, as also the statues or any other kind of decoration that could have been put in them. The garden is now covered by a high layer of soil over which an olive trees’ grove has been planted, and we don’t know anything more of it.