Large Slave Tunnel Discovered Under Emperor Hadrian's Villa in Rome
August 22nd, 2013, 19:32 GMT · By Laura Sinpetru
Large Slave Tunnel Discovered Under Emperor Hadrian's Villa in Rome
the Rome, have recently announced the discovery of a fairly large tunnel that sits precisely beneath Roman Emperor Hadrian's villa.
The tunnel measures about 10 feet (3 meters) in width, meaning that it was probably big enough for Roman carts and wagons to fit through it.
Due to its impressive size, the tunnel has been named Strada Carrabile, or the Great Underground Road. Apparently, it first runs northeast, and then switches to the villa's southern areas.
Investigations have revealed that both this tunnel and several smaller ones in its proximity most likely served to transport slaves, food and other goods.
Apparently, the Emperor could not stand the sight of slaves, animals and whatnot being moved around, and therefore ordered workers to build these tunnels in order to conceal them from view.
Hadrian's villa tunnels explored as cavers drop down into hidden city
Amateur cavers map network of passages built by Roman emperor at Tivoli to keep slaves, oxen and victuals below stairs.
More:
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Large-Slave-Tunnel-Discovered-Under-Emperor-Hadrian-s-Villa-in-Rome-377393.shtml
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Tom Kington in Rome
theguardian.com, Tuesday 20 August 2013 14.02 EDT
Amateur cavers have mapped a vast network of tunnels underneath Hadrian's Villa outside Rome, leading archaeologists to radically revise their views of one of ancient Rome's most imposing imperial retreats.
Lowering themselves through light shafts found in fields around the 120-hectare (296-acre) site, local speleologists have charted more than a mile of road tunnels – passages where, in the second century, oxen pulled carts loaded with luxury foods for banquets and thousands of slaves scurried from palace to palace, well out of sight of the emperor.
"These tunnels lead us to understand that Hadrian's Villa was organised less like a villa and more like a city," said Benedetta Adembri, the director of the site, who is planning, in the autumn, to open stretches of the tunnels to the public for the first time.
Never an emperor to do things by half – his idea of homeland security was to build a wall across the top of England – Hadrian built his country hideaway near modern-day Tivoli to escape the noise and crowds of Rome, but managed to take half the city with him.
Archaeologists have identified 30 buildings, including palaces, thermal baths, a theatre and libraries, as well as gardens and dozens of fountains.
More:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/20/hadrians-villa-tunnels-cavers-tivoli
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Sunday, January 27, 2013
Hadrian's Villa
Some images, short paragraphs.
http://benedante.blogspot.com/2013/01/hadrians-villa.html