Architecture and Decorative System of the Teatro Marittimo at Villa Adriana: a new integrated approach to an understanding of the building’s
original
aspect.
Benedetta Adembri, Sergio Di Tondo, Filippo Fantini
Architecture and Decorative System of the Teatro Marittimo
at Villa Adriana: a New Integrated Approach to an Under-
standing of the Building’s Original Aspect
B. Adembri1, S. Di Tondo2, F. Fantini3
1
Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici del Lazio, Italy
2
Dipartimento di Progettazione dell’Architettura, University of Florence, Italy
3
Instituto de Restauración del Patrimonio, Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, Spain
sergioditondo@ndas3a.it
1. Premise
The Villa Adriana, declared to be a Cultural Heri-
tage site by UNESCO in 1999, and still today a sub-
ject for systematic study by a team of international
architects and archaeologists, has always been a fo-
cus for spoliation and even excavations, starting from
the fifteenth century, aimed at recovering precious
works of art for the antiques market.
Starting from the ’fifties, finds from excavations
are preserved in various archaeological areas of the
Villa. Such finds comprise a very considerable num-
ber of often highly fragmentary pieces, never prop-
erly identified or catalogued. Quite recently, with a
view to the logistic rearrangement of items and to
ascertaining the Villa’s stock of archaeological as-
sets, a scientific study was launched, involving sev-
eral categories of the most numerous items kept at
the so-called Cento Camerelle warehouse.
Among the stored items are several figured friezes
with a characteristic curvilinear shape, belonging to
the Teatro Marittimo, some of which were subjected
to anastylosis operations in 1957/1958 and have been
replaced inside the building, while others can be
found in public and private collections, both in Italy
and elsewhere in Europe. One fragment is preserved
at London’s British Museum (n° 2319), a further
three are found at the Louvre Museum in Paris (MA
151; MA 1575; MA 152); two fragments are kept in
the Vatican Museums (n° 1610; n° 364). Yet another
fragment is in Liverpool, at the Merseyside County
Museum; two others are preserved at the Berlin
Staatliche Museen (n° 934; n° 904). Three other
fragments have been employed in the masonry of
Villa Doria Pamphili in Rome. We also have infor-
mation about at least four other fragments preserved
on properties in the Tivoli area, to which a further
small fragment can be added, identified in September
2009 by the author on a private property close to the
Villa Adriana archaeological area.
The Teatro Marittimo trabeation, beside its evident
curvilinear shape, possessed friezes figured on both
faces (concave and convex) with portrayals of the
sea-thiasos and chariot races driven by Erotes at the
circus. The presence of curvilinear friezes with a sea-
thiasos theme also on the trabeation of the southern
pavilion of Piazza d’Oro may cause some uncertainty
in the attribution of the single items, especially when
they are very fragmentary or have an excoriated sur-
face. Indeed, although the Piazza d’Oro friezes are
larger in size and their relief is more accentuated than
those of the Teatro Marittimo, it is difficult to distin-
guish the two figured cycles, especially in the case of
tiny fragments. The literature on the subject bears
witness to this fact (Bonanno 1975, Conti 1976, Ca-
prino 1985, Mari 1994) by not providing univocal
attributions for the fragments. A possible solution
may be found in utilising laser scanning surveys on
samples of the single characters and elements com-
posing the figured decoration. The high level of pre-
cision obtained by laser scanning facilitates metric
comparison of the digital models and highlights data
that can be used to distinguish the two sets of thiasos
friezes.
A further note should be added on the current state
of preservation of the collection friezes (or those that
have come from collections and are currently kept at
Villa Adriana). Having been detached from their
original trabeation blocks and re-employed as sepa-
rate decorative elements, they are in the form of con-
cave or convex marble slabs with one decorated side
and the other purposely chisel-pitted to improve ad-
herence to the new masonry.
As far as the Teatro Marittimo is concerned, the
trabeation may have portrayed the same subject, i.e.
the sea-thiasos, on both faces (concave and convex),
or else have had the circus chariot race on the con-
cave side. The latter subject is always portrayed on
CAA’ 2010 - Fusion of Cultures
Granada, Spain
 B. Adembri, S. Di Tondo, F. Fantini / Architecture and Decorative System of the Teatro Marittimo at Villa Adriana: a new integrated ap-
proach to an understanding of the building’s original aspect.
the concave side of the trabeation on the numerous
pieces preserved. Proof is provided by the fragments
replaced in situ on the trabeation of the entrance ves-
tibule to the Teatro Marittimo. In this case, however,
the anastylosis operation involved a gross error (al-
ready pointed out by Catia Caprino in 1985), since
on the inner side of the same trabeation fragments
were recomposed portraying, on their concave face, a
mixture of the two figured cycles.
2. Aims
1) The systematic documenting and cataloguing of
all known fragments, using available technology to
produce an archive that will be useful for metric and
formal characteristics.
2) The implementation of virtual models, based on
the survey carried out using laser scanning technol-
ogy, for the purpose of reconstructing virtually (but
with the possibility of producing physical models)
the ensemble of the surviving frieze elements of the
curvilinear trabeation of the Teatro Marittimo.
3) The construction of a language shared with the
various research sectors involved (archaeologists,
architects, engineers, art historians, etc.), so as to
operate in close synergy and thus optimise research
results.
4) The outlining of I.T. solutions for the smooth
management of heterogeneous data.
The above aims are essential to the attainment of
the second set of objectives established for this re-
search.
1) Reconstruction of the design mechanisms on
which the Teatro Marittimo system was based. This
requires a review of archaeological evidence in order
to verify the foundation of the original structures, a
metric survey of the original structures and an analy-
sis of the measurements to compare with ancient
textbooks on the metrological, compositional and
implementation aspects of architectural design.
(Figure 1)
2) A study of the formal and metric features of the
building’s decorative system and continual compari-
son with the architectural basis, with the aim of pro-
Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archeology, 2010 – Fusion of Cultures
Granada, Spain
posing synthetic solutions on which the virtual re-
construction assumptions can be based.
Figure 1: Plan of Teatro Marittimo. Metrological and
compositional aspects of architectural design.
3. Methodological Approach
This research is based on the decision to re-order,
document and catalogue the original fragments, both
those preserved at Villa Adriana and those in private
and public collections, both in Italy and elsewhere in
Europe; to acquire graphic (engravings and old draw-
ings) and photographic (historical photography)
documentation concerning the friezes, with the aim
of amassing the greatest amount of information pos-
sible in order to recompose the figurative cycles; to
survey the curvilinear architectural structures of the
Teatro Marittimo to which the marble friezes must
have been fixed.
Digital survey campaigns have been planned to in-
clude the digital models both of the architectural
decoration preserved elsewhere and that at the Villa,
as well as those concerning the architecture of the
Teatro Marittimo. The employment of digital survey
tools appears to be best suited to documenting the
friezes with regard to their formal characteristics and
to the dispersal of the architectural decoration.
Up to now, two surveys of the Teatro Marittimo
are available: the first, carried out in 2006 by the
Università Politecnica delle Marche (DARDUS),
relates to the whole complex, while the second, car-
ried out in 2009 by the University of Florence (Ar-
chitectural Design Dept.), relates exclusively to the
island. As far as the architectural decoration is con-
cerned, we have digital models both of the friezes
preserved in situ, and those at the Villa Adriana Di-
dactic Museum.
 B. Adembri, S. Di Tondo, F. Fantini / Architecture and Decorative System of the Teatro Marittimo at Villa Adriana: a new integrated ap-
proach to an understanding of the building’s original aspect

The survey makes a considerable volume of con-

tinually consultable data available to researchers.
Verification of compatibility between the frieze and
the metric characteristics of the building, for exam-
ple, makes it possible to confirm or exclude with
absolute certainty whether the fragments belong to
the Teatro Marittimo rather than to other buildings
with curvilinear trabeations (not only Piazza d’Oro,
but also buildings such as the so-called Serapeum).
Such an operation would solve one of the most recur-
rent problems at Villa Adriana: that of attributing
single pieces to one building or another. Further-
more, comparing the bend radius of the decoration Figure 2: Frieze figured with portrayals of the sea-
with that of the architectural outline accomplishes thiasos. 3D model portrayed the orthogonal projection
one more step in establishing the original placing of method.
the friezes within the same building, in this case, the
Teatro Marittimo.
2) Analysis of the measurements, applied mainly to
In actual fact, although it has been widely tackled the bend radius of the architectural decoration and
using traditional methodologies, the problem of relo- the building plan, has made it possible to replace
cating the friezes still presents unsolved questions virtually the concave frieze with the sea-thiasos
and unconvincing answers. Consequently, it has been (frieze with marine fauna and dolphin, preserved at
decided that such problems should be tackled again Villa Adriana) on the right side of the trabeation of
using a different methodological approach, also em- the entrance vestibule of the Teatro Marittimo. This
ploying digital technology, so as to achieve a further new hypothesis makes it possible to exclude the solu-
step in the research that will provide more scientifi- tion proposed in 1985 by Mathias Ueblacker, which
cally reliable and certain answers. places the frieze on the back wall of the Tablinum.
The methodology utilised employs I.T. tools suited (Figure 3/4/5)
to the concrete need to manage a heterogeneous
quantity of data. Data processing technology, as-
sisted by video-game applications, has made it possi-
ble to diminish the computational load considerably
by transferring detail data from the 3D model to raser
images interconnected through a local UV reference
system (cf. B. Adembri, S. Di Tondo, F. Fantini
“Tools for archiving and managing cultural heritage:
The finds from Hadrian’s Villa in the territory of
Tivoli. The case study of the friezes from the Teatro
Marittimo”, Workshop 14 Archaeology and Com-
puter, soon to appear). Figure 3: Analysis of the measurements, applied mainly
to the bend radius of the architectural decoration and the
building plan.
4. First Research Results and Subsequent De-
velopments 3) The comparative study of the architectural deco-
ration and the original plan of the building has also
4.1 Results
highlighted several errors in the current anastylosis
solution for the entrance vestibule of the Teatro
1) Definition of a procedure for documenting sin- Marittimo (the works were performed between 1957
gle fragments, based on image codes shared by the and 1958). The new proposal, still being processed,
various research sectors and functional for immediate will be studied during the continuation of research.
consultation of surface measurements and features
(colour and material treatment). It has been decided
to portray the 3D model using the orthogonal projec-
tion method, with plan, elevation and section.
(Figure 2)

Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archeology, 2010 – Fusion of Cultures

Granada, Spain
 B. Adembri, S. Di Tondo, F. Fantini / Architecture and Decorative System of the Teatro Marittimo at Villa Adriana: a new integrated ap-
proach to an understanding of the building’s original aspect.
Figure 4: Analysis of the measurements, applied mainly
to the bend radius of the architectural decoration and the
building plan.
4.2 Immediate Developments of the Research
1) Surveying and documentation of the large-size
concave frieze fragments with the motif of chariots
driven by eroti (fragment n° 2319, preserved at the
British Museum; fragment from the Fontana della
Rometta at Villa d’Este, currently in storage at Villa
Adriana).
2) Definition of the number of slabs composing the
trabeation of each curvilinear portico of the Teatro
Marittimo.
3) Linear development of the existing frieze frag-
ments, catalogued by type (concave or convex) and
by bend radius.
Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archeology, 2010 – Fusion of Cultures
Granada, Spain
Figure 5: Virtual replacement of the concave frieze with
the sea-thiasos on the right side of the trabeation of the
entrance vestibule of the Teatro Marittimo.
References
BONANNO M., 1975. Nuovi frammenti del fregio
del «Teatro Marittimo» di Villa Adriana. In Archeo-
logia Classica, vol. XXVII, Fasc. 1 (1975), pp. 33-
40.
MARI Z., 1994. Scoperte archeologiche nel territorio
tiburtino. In Atti e Memorie della Società Tiburtina
di Storia e d’Arte, vol. LXVII (1994), pp. 156-160.
UEBLACKER M. 1985. Das Teatro Marittimo in der
Villa Hadriana. Verlag Philipp Von Zabern, Mainz
Am Rhein.
LÉVY B. 2001. Constrained Texture Mapping for
Polygonal Meshes. In Proc. SIGGRAPH ‘01(2001).
PIPONI D., BORSHUKOV G. 2000. Seamless Tex-
ture Mapping of Subdivision Surfaces by Model
Pelting and Texture Blending. In Proc. SIGGRAPH
‘00 (2000).
SCATENI R., CIGNONI P., MONTANI C.,
SCOPIGNO R. 2005. Fondamenti di Grafica Tridi-
mensionale Interattiva.McGraw-Hill, Milano.