Hadrian's Villa - Rome - TravBuddy

Hadrian's Villa is actually located in Tivoli, which is a small town a few miles away from Rome, but it can easily be seen in a short day or half-day trip. This villa was a primary residence for Hadrian, who was emperor of the Roman Empire from 117-138AD. The ruins are in surprisingly good condition considering much of the villa is still unexcavated and that they are nearly 2000 years old.

One of my favorite parts of the villa is a tiny "island" home that Hadrian built within the walls of the compound. Essentially, there was a small island with a house built upon it, surrounded by a moat. Hadrian would walk across an adjustable bridge to get to the center of the island, where he would be isolated from everything and everyone. It was basically a personal sanctuary for perhaps the most powerful man in the world.

Another interesting bit of trivia is that most of the villa (which was gigantic) had heated floors. Basically, there was a giant, complex network of pipes and tunnels underneath the complex that were kept heated by slaves who burned wood.

If you're interested in learning more about Hadrian I'd recommend reading Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar. Although it's work of fiction, it uses a lot of information based on real fact, and is an interesting philosophical work in its own right.