Ancient Roman home buried for 2,000 years opens via livestream

Ancient Roman House of the Griffins Opens to the Public via Livestream Tours

One of the best-preserved ancient Roman homes on Rome’s Palatine Hill is opening to the public for the first time through a novel approach: livestreamed tours that bring visitors face-to-face with underground frescoes and mosaics more than 2,000 years old.mymotherlode

The House of the Griffins, dating from the 2nd to 1st century B.C., was discovered during excavations of Palatine Hill in the early 20th century. The home was hidden from the world after Emperor Domitian built his palace directly on top of it in the first century A.D., leaving it buried underground for millennia.apnews

Livestreaming Protects Fragile Art

The decision to offer livestreamed rather than in-person tours stems from the home’s precarious accessibility. The underground chambers can only be reached via a dangerously steep and narrow staircase, making it ill-suited for mass visits.dailysabah

Under the new system, visitors will remain in a room above ground while a guide wearing a head-mounted smartphone descends into the domus, broadcasting live video of the rooms and providing narration. This approach serves dual purposes: allowing the public to experience spaces that would otherwise remain off-limits while protecting the delicate frescoes from excessive humidity and carbon dioxide that crowds would generate.apnews

The home’s recently restored frescoes include the decoration that gives it its name: an arched lunette depicting two griffins, the half-eagle, half-lion creatures of mythology. Floor mosaics featuring three-dimensional cubes and richly colored faux marble designs recall the elegant homes of ancient Pompeii.abcnews

“Its location at the highest point of the hill, its distribution over several levels that take advantage of the slopes of the Palatine Hill itself, and its preservation make it today an almost textbook reference,” said project leader and archaeologist Federica Rinaldi. “It was certainly a domus of the highest standard”.mymotherlode

EU-Funded Effort to Spread Tourism

Beginning March 3, livestreamed tours will be held weekly on Tuesdays, with sessions offered in both Italian and English. Groups are limited to 12 people and require reservations, along with an additional ticket beyond the standard Colosseum-Palatine Hill entrance fee.apnews

The restoration of the House of the Griffins is one of 10 projects funded by the European Union within the Colosseum Archaeological Park, part of post-COVID recovery initiatives. The effort aims to disperse tourists beyond the heavily visited Colosseum and Roman Forum, which frequently face overcrowding.abcnews

“It’s a great occasion to value the full territory of the park,” said park director Simone Quilici.mymotherlode