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(MarcoAnsaloni)
BiologistCarloChinellatoappliesaspeciallyformulatedbiocidetoprotectsomeoftheDomusAureasfrescoedwallsagainstfungal
andbacterialgrowth.

AnambitiousrestorationandexcavationprojectledbytheArchaeologicalSuperintendencyofRomeisnow
underway.Thefirstpriorityhasbeentocompletelyrethinkandredesignthepark,whichisinterriblecondition.
Untilwehavelightenedthevolumeoftheparkwhoseweightincreasesbyupto30percentwhenitrainsby
morethanhalf,wearefarfromanyeffectivesolution,saysFedoraFilippi,thearchaeologistresponsibleforthe
DomusAureaexcavations.Wehavehadtomapandthenremoveexistingtreesthatarecausingthemost
damage,whiledocumentingtheentireexcavationphaseindetail,shesays.Wecantjustdismantlethegarden
withouttakingprecautionsorwewilldestroythepalacesfrescoedwalls,whichhavemanagedtoadaptandstay
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standingoverthecenturies.AccordingtolandscapearchitectGabriellaStrano,who,alongwithagronomistPier
LuigiCambiandbiologistIreneAmici,hasworkedatthemappingprojectspilotsitethefirstof22plannedlots
theweightoftheearthcoveringthearchaeologicalremainsisconservativelyestimatedat5,5006,600pounds
persquaremeter,notincludingtheweightofthetrees.Onelaureltree,whichhadstoodabovetheDomus
Aureasornatefrescoes,wasremovedandfoundtohaveweighedmorethan30,000pounds.

Filippiexplainsthattheexistinggardenwillbereplacedatalevelmorethan10feetabovewhereitisnow,witha
subsurfaceinfrastructuredesignedtosealofftheundergroundarchitecturefrommoistureandregulate
temperatureandhumidity.Thenewgardenwillalsohavewalkwaysthatwillrecallthepast,saysStrano.The
ancientwritersColumellaandPlinytellusthatRomangardensweremadeupofstraightavenuescrossedat
rightanglesbylittlepaths.Thesenewlineswillalsosuggesttovisitorstheoutlinesofthestructuresunderneath,
andmakeitpossibletochannelrainwater.

(MarcoAnsaloni)
SincetheRenaissance,holeshavebeencutintotheDomusAureasceilingsothatpeoplemightdescendinsidetoseeitsspectacular
decorations,suchasthoseintheRoomoftheGoldenVaults(topleft),andaspartoftheconstructionofapark(topright)inthe1930s.
Theseholeshaveallowedwaterandrootstoinfiltratethepalaceanddamageboththestructureandthefrescoesbelow.

OneofthebenefitsoftheefforttoconserveandstabilizethesurvivingpartsoftheDomusAureahasbeenthe
chancetoexcavatesectionsthathaveneverbeenexplored,expandingscholarsknowledgeofthepalaceandits
surroundingslaterhistory.In2014atestsitewasopenedinthepalaceswesterndistrict.Theareasurveyed,
totalingmorethan8,000squarefeet,waspartoftheDomusAureasperistyle.Thiswasfilledintoactasa
supportfortheBathsofTrajan,saysarchaeologistElisabettaSegala.Thisexcavationhasallowedusto
deepenourunderstandingofthefateofthisspace,especiallywhenthebathswereabandoned,afterA.D.539,
whentheOstrogothscutoffthesupplyofwaterfromtheaqueductstothecity.ItisalsoknownthatintheMiddle
AgesthisareabecameanecropolisforthehumbleinhabitantsoftheOppianHill.Wehaveunearthednine
gravesthatweremadeusingpiecesofcocciopestofromtheTrajanicbaths,saysSegala.Wehavealsofound
tracesofagriculturalactivities,mostlyvineyards,orchards,andvegetablegardens,thathavedamagedthe
skeletons.

Inaddition,ateamledbyMariaAntoniettaTomei,hasfoundnewremainsofthepalace,includingthemain
entertaininganddiningspaces,onthenearbyPalatineHill.In2009sheidentifiedacircularstructurethatislikely
oneofthe12footwidesupportingpillarsoftherounddiningroomdescribedbySuetonius.

1(#art_page1) 2(#art_page2) 3 4(#art_page4)

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