Today, visitors can still see some of the Palace’s remains, including the stunning frescoes that once adorned its walls. Following Nero’s suicide, the Domus Area was destroyed by the Flavian emperors, and many of its parts were incorporated into other buildings, most notably the Colosseum. The Palace’s fate mirrored that of its builder.

It did not help that Nero embarked on the ambitious project following the Great Fire of Rome in 64 CE, and that he used a large area of the devastated area to build the “Golden House”. Unsurprisingly, Nero’s extravagant palace was used by his enemies as the ultimate evidence of the emperor’s megalomania. A marvel of Roman engineering, the Domus Aurea was designed to showcase emperor Nero’s wealth, power and prestige.

The Palace’s many rooms were covered in gold and decorated with precious stones and gems. Renowned for its opulence and splendor, the Domus Aurea covered a vast area, including gardens, pavilions, fountains, pools, and even an artificial lake. The Domus Aurea, or the “Golden House,” was a large and extravagant palatial complex built by Emperor Nero in Rome in the mid-first century CE.