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The Palace's Nymphaeum

by Egenia Salza Prina Ricotti

The Palace’s nympheum. It was probably made like the southern hemicycle of the “Stadio” garden and it was made by Hadrian to give a more decorative sustaining structure to the southern end of the republican villa, that, up to that moment had been closed by a simple strong wall. Here everything is destroyed and only a part of the cement substructure has been left. There is no trace of the large cement cases to plant the box tree bushes or of the steps of the marble stairs over which the water glided, but enough of the hydric system has survived and through it we are able to see how it was made. At the feet of the hemicycle a large basin collected the falling water and between it and the monumental entrance two walls enclosed two oval spaces probably used as flower beds.