The book, thanks to simple yet scientifically accurate writing and a wealth of illustrations, most of them previously unpublished, offers the reader a chance to admire and learn more about the magnificently frescoed walls of the Palatine hill, from the late Republic to the early Principate, the aristocratic residences in the heart of ancient Rome – The houses of Grifi, of Octavian/Augustus, of Livia, the so-called Aula Isiaca and others more recently discovered- where artistic models and decorative schemes where born and elaborated and later exported through the empire. This is the book’s focus: the shapes and colours of the homes, the function and significance of the paintings found inside the homes of Roman aristocracy.
The book is published to mark the reopening of the frescoed residences on the Palatine and other important monuments (The Criptoportico Neroniano, the Temple of Romolus and Santa Maria Antiqua) promoted by the Colosseum’s Archaeological Park, with improved access ( S.U.P.E.R. Ticket).