The Palatine Hill, Rome.

“Rome has its origins on the Palatine. Excavations show that people have lived in the area since the 10th century BC. According to Livy, after the immigration of the Sabines and the Albans to Rome, the original Romans lived on the Palatine. The Palatine Hill was also the site of the ancient festival of the Lupercalia.

“Many affluent Romans of the Republican period (c.509 BC – 44 BC) had their residences there. From the start of the Empire (27 BC) Augustus built his palace there and the hill gradually became the exclusive domain of emperors; the ruins of the palaces of at least Augustus (27 BC – 14 AD), Tiberius (14 – 37 AD) and Domitian (81 – 96 AD) can still be seen. Augustus also built a temple to Apollo here.

“The great fire of 64 AD destroyed Nero’s palace, but he replaced it by 69 AD with the even larger Domus Aurea over which was built Domitian’s Palace.”

Top right: “The Domus Augustana is the modern name for the so-called domestic wing of the ancient and vast Roman Palace of Domitian (92 AD) on the Palatine Hill. Its name is not directly related to Augustus and should not be confused with the Domus Augusti.”