First-century tyrant Caligula used a magical estate and its accompanying garden as a retreat during his four-year reign. (He was also assassinated there.) On the outskirts of Rome, on Esquiline Hill, Caligula housed imported animals and oddities, oversaw the construction of an exquisite botanical complex and leveraged his wealth. Scholars believed that when he died, his estate was likely pillaged and the belongings unlikely to …
In Rome‘s historic district of Regola—a neighborhood where one can still breathe a deeply authentic Roman atmosphere—contemporary art galleries and traditional restaurants exist side by side. The 16th century Galleria Spada sits next to the nightlife of Campo de’ Fiori, and the once walled Jewish ghetto rises next to new restaurants. It’s here that the 42-room Chapter Roma hotel recently opened its doors. Inside a …
How is it that 2000 years later, certain Roman ruins still stand in harbors? Geologists have determined that it pertains to one of the components—aluminum tobermorite, a rare mineral found in volcanic ash. When struck with seawater (another component of Roman concrete, along with lime and rock), a possolanic reaction occurs where the tobermorite crystallizes and spreads—adding further strength. Thus, longterm seawater exposure only reinforces …
