The Horti di Mecenate are the most ancient to be found at the
residential gardens at the Esquilino; the friend and councillor of
Emperor Augustus indeed transformed into a sumptuous residence an area
that had until then been used as a necropolis, covering it with a large
layer of earth. Later having passed to Imperial domain, the gardens became an extension of the Domus Aurea at the time of Nero.
The only part that still exists today is the Auditorium, a summer triclinium decorated with frescoes with views of gardens. The
sculpted decorations, found in pieces inside walls built in late
antiquity, shows the cultural interests of the owner, with images of
Muses and hermas with portraits of illustrious persons from literary
circles, and his passion for collecting, with Greek funerary stones and
very high quality copies of Greek originals.
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