Villa di Livia - Underground garden room, Underground garden room with frescoes at Prima Porta, Italy
The underground chamber of Villa di Livia features walls completely covered with painted garden scenes and naturalistic details. The painted surfaces create the illusion of stepping into a living garden filled with diverse plant species and bird motifs.
The room originates from the 1st century BCE and belonged to the estate of Livia Drusilla, wife of Emperor Augustus. It was discovered and studied in Rome before being relocated to a museum for proper preservation.
The paintings display plants and flowers in continuous bloom, showing how Romans imagined gardens through artistic decoration. The work reveals the Roman desire to bring natural beauty directly into living spaces.
The frescoes are now displayed at the Palazzo Massimo Museum in Rome, where they were moved from the original site for protection. Visiting the museum allows you to see the works in a controlled environment with proper lighting.
The room was originally windowless and used painting techniques to transform a small underground space into a lush garden retreat. This illusion technique was developed to give the imperial family a cool escape from Rome's summer heat.
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