Explore architecture from Hadrian's Villa: How did Hadrian's taste in design differ from previous architects? What were Hadrian's "Pumpkins?"
Hadrian's Villa
Hadrian’s Villa (Villa Adriana) was not located in the city of Rome. Instead, it was situated twenty-eight kilometers northeast of Rome near Tivoli. The Villa spread over half a square mile of the country side. Hadrian was an architect himself, and his personal taste can be seen in the design of his villa. Two areas of the Villa Adriana will be the focus here: the Piazza d’Oro and the Canopus.
Piazza d'Oro
The Piazza d’Oro was a peristyle court containing an octagonal vestibule. This vestibule was roofed by vaults comprising of conveying gores and panels. This type of vaulting is known as the "umbrella" vault. It is an advanced form of the domical vault found in the octagonal room of the Domus Aurea. Scholars are certain these domes are the "pumpkins" that Apollodoros ridiculed a young Hadrian of designing. Apollodoros may have criticized Hadrian, but his vaults remain innovative and highly complex regardless. Unlike the octagonal room of the Domus Aurea (see related articles below), the octagonal vestibule at Tivoli does not interfere with the rest of the building’s layout. This can be better seen when comparing both ground plans. The outer rooms that surround the octagonal suite in the Domus Aurea are awkwardly placed, due to it’s design. The rooms that surround the vestibule however are balanced and symmetrical. This shows a better understanding of vaulted architecture.
The Canopus
Similar to the Piazza d’Oro, the Canopus / Serapeum structure at Tivoli also displays an advanced vaulting system. Hadrian’s travels influenced his architecture, and the Canopus certainly has it’s roots in Egypt. The Canopus itself is situated in a valley at the southern end of the villa. At the northern end of the Canopus’ basin stands a colonnade of Corinthian columns. At the southern end stands a complex containing a large ribbed half-domed apse. This dome is similar to the domes of the Piazza d’Oro. However, this half-dome has wider curved segments and was decorated with blue and green mosaic. The southern end also contained a long barrel-vaulted room, which further lead into an aqueduct. High in the wall, windows were carved to allow in light.
Hadrian’s Villa, with it’s use of complex vaults and domes, did not quite penetrate the mainstream so easily. Hadrian was succeeded by two emperors uninterested in new architectural design - Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius. Larry Ball states " Hadrian’s design ideas were left stranded in perfect isolation after his death." (Ball, Larry. The Domus Aurea and the Roman Architectural Revolution. (United Kingdom, 2003)
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