Roman Domus of Palazzo Valentini

Discover the remains of this great Domus (residential complex) of ancient Rome, brought to life by projections and light effects.

A treasure under Palazzo Valentini, the excavations of the Domus are now a permanent exhibition that enriches the historical and artistic heritage of Rome, thanks to the discoveries that have allowed us to reconstruct an important part of the topography of the ancient, medieval and modern city. The scenic route through the remains of the patricia "Domus" of the imperial age, belonging to powerful families, with mosaics, decorated walls, polychrome floors, pavements, and other artifacts, is supported by a redevelopment project that has brought new life to the evidence of the past through virtual reconstructions, graphic effects and movies. The visitor sees as "born again" walls, rooms, peristyles, kitchens, baths, furnishings and decorations, making a virtual journey inside a large Domus of the ancient Rome.


Info & Booking

Palazzo Valentini
Via IV Novembre 119/A - 00187 Roma

A treasure under Palazzo Valentini, the excavations of the Domus are now a permanent exhibition that enriches the historical and artistic heritage of Rome, thanks to the discoveries that have allowed us to reconstruct an important part of the topography of the ancient, medieval and modern city. The scenic route through the remains of the patricia "Domus" of the imperial age, belonging to powerful families, with mosaics, decorated walls, polychrome floors, pavements, and other artifacts, is supported by a redevelopment project that has brought new life to the evidence of the past through virtual reconstructions, graphic effects and movies. The visitor sees as "born again" walls, rooms, peristyles, kitchens, baths, furnishings and decorations, making a virtual journey inside a large Domus of the ancient Rome.

OPENING HOURS:
Every day from 9.30am TO 5:30pm.
Closed on Tuesdays, December 25, January 1 and May 1.

Guided visits in the following languages:

  • English: 1:30pm, 2:00pm, 2:30pm
  • French: 11:30am
  • German: 1pm
  • Spanish: 5pm
  • Italian: 9:30am, 12:00noon, 4:30pm, 5:30pm, 6:00pm

For safety reasons, entry is limited to 10 people per entrance slot.

  • Reservations must be made with a minimum of 1-day notice.
  • Reserved tickets must be picked up no later than 30 minutes before the confirmed time slot. After this time, reservations will be canceled and you will lose the right to your tickets.
  • Any change is subject to confirmation according to availability.

Cancellation Policy:

  • Cancellations and changes without penalty if communicated within 24 hours from the original booking
  • For cancellations or changes up to 3 days before the date of the visit, the cost of the service is due as penalty
  • For cancellation or changes from 3 days before the date of the visit, no refund of the ticket, service, or ancillary services such as guides or earphones will be granted.
  • Any change is subject to confirmation according to availability.

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PLEASE NOTE: Immediately after submitting an order, you will receive an email with your order summary plus a second email confirming your successful payment. A confirmation email with links to the vouchers will be sent one business day after you place your order (Monday afternoon for orders submitted on Friday and during the weekend). Please make sure that your anti-spam filter does not block automatic emails from [email protected].

How to get there:

To reach Palazzo Valentini from Termini Train Station, you can take bus number 40 and get off at Piazza Venezia. From here walk for 50 meters.

Before You Book

PLEASE NOTE: Immediately after submitting an order, you will receive two email. The first email contains your order summary (this one you receive immediately after placing your order), the second email confirms your successful payment (one business day after placing the order). In order to receive these two emails, please make sure that you enter your email address correctly and check that antispam or antivirus filters do not block emails from our [email protected] address. Users of AOL, Comcast and Sbcglobal.net need to pay special attention to this, please. Vouchers will also be available, one business day after the request, at your dashboard.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The time you select on the order form is your preferred time. The closest available time, which can be anytime during opening hours on the selected date, will be automatically confirmed if your preferred time is no longer available.

Intro

Visit one of Rome's most fascinating treasures – the remains of the patrician Domus (residential complex) of imperial Rome under Palazzo Valentini. The Domus once belonged to powerful families, and is rich with mosaics, wall decorations, polychrome floors, paving blocks, and other remains. The excavations have been further enhanced with virtual reconstructions, graphics and videos. You'll see walls, rooms, peristyles (columned porches), kitchens, baths, furnishings and decorations all come back to life, as the ruins of this great Domus of ancient Rome are completed and brought to life by projections and light effects.

Roman Domus of Palazzo Valentini

History of Palazzo Valentini

Palazzo Valentini, seat of the Province of Rome since 1873, was commissioned to be built in 1585 by Cardinal Michele Bonelli, a nephew of Pope Pius V. In the seventeenth century it underwent renovation and a series of extensions were added by Cardinal Carlo Bonelli and Michele Ferdinando Bonelli. The building was partially demolished and then rebuilt by Francesco Peparelli for the new owner, Cardinal Renato Imperiali, who created an important family library (the 'Imperiali' library), comprising about 24,000 volumes.

In the early eighteenth century, the building was leased to several prominent figures, including the Marquis Francesco Maria Ruspoli, who lived there between 1705 and 1713. The Marquis used it as a private theater and hosted famous musicians of the time, including Georg Friedrich Händel, Alessandro Scarlatti, and Arcangelo Corelli. The entire building was then purchased in 1752 by Cardinal Giuseppe Spinelli, who moved the Imperial Library to the ground floor for public use. It was often frequented by Johann Joachim Winckelmann, considered by many to be the father of the discipline of art history. In 1827 the Prussian banker and Consul-General Vincenzo Valentini bought the building, making it his home and giving it its name.

The multimedia museum: where antiquity meets innovation

Visit the fascinating remains of the patrician "domus" of imperial Rome, belonging to powerful families, with mosaics, wall decorations, polychrome floors, paving blocks, and other remains. The excavations have been further enhanced by a project curated by Piero Angela and a team of experts, including Paco Lanciano and Gaetano Capasso, who have recreated the past with virtual reconstructions, graphics and videos. Visitors can see walls, rooms, peristyles, kitchens, baths, furnishings and decorations all come back to life, as the ruins of this great domus of ancient Rome are completed and brought to life by projections and light effects.

A new important sector has been added to the archaeological zone and museum. In the underground area opposite Trajan's Column, you'll see the remains of a monumental public or sacred building. It consists of a great concrete platform, walls made of large blocks of travertine and tuff, and the remains of colossal columns made of single grey Egyptian granite blocks (the biggest to be found in ancient Rome). The bricked rooms with vaulted ceilings, seem to date from the early years of the emperor Hadrian, according to stamps on the bricks. This new area also boasts an exhibition, curated by the same team, which shows you how the area of Trajan's Column looked at the time of its construction. A working model recreates the buildings as they appeared then, especially the huge Ulpian basilica, which stood right next to the column. A video brings to life the two adjacent buildings, perhaps libraries.

Finally, a virtual reconstruction of the column gives you a close up look at the bas-reliefs and the story they tell of Trajan’s military campaign – the conquest of Dacia, present day Romania. An extraordinary event that ended with the death of King Decebalus and the emperor’s triumph.

This museum space is a unique and magnificent example of how the artistic heritage of antiquity, regenerated by careful and painstaking restoration, can be enhanced with the use of new technologies.

Cancellation Policy

Once a confirmation code has been assigned to your reservation, we can refund the cost minus a service fee (reservation fee and online booking fee) for cancellations up to 3 business days before the event. Cancellations less than 3 days before your booked event and no-shows are not refundable.

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