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This extraordinary villa was built for Emperor Hadrian. It was vast and included full-scale reproductions of Egyptian and Greek buildings, much loved by Hadrian. The palace had a series of rooms for guests, banqueting halls and libraries. Hadrian had theaters built, as well as libraries with many Greek and Latin texts, and baths, fountains and pools. Teatro Marittimo must have also been an incredible sight, a pool with an island in the center reached by a drawbridge: apparently it was one of the emperor's favorite spots in which to indulge in his favorite pastimes, painting and architecture. Amongst the reproduced buildings, Hadrian had a Canopus made, a temple to the god Serapis, and statues were imported from Egypt for decoration. The villa fell into ruin when tribes of barbarians used it as a campsite. The art work reappeared much later in private collections, and in various European museums. The restored remains can be viewed amongst the trees, along with fragments of mosaics from the imperial palace.
