Maritime Theatre at Villa Adriana

Hadrian had this retreat constructed in ancient Tibur due to his dislike of the Imperial palace on the Palatine Hill in Rome. In fact, in the latter part of his reign he is said to have controlled the Empire from these very grounds, some 18 miles from the capital. Successive Emperors continued to use the palace as their personal retreat.

During his reign, Hadrian spent little time in Rome, preferring to travel with the legions. It is believed that he visited almost every province in the Empire. Under his reign, the northern most point the Empire would consolidate was demarked by the wall in Britain which bears his name. Hadrian was also a great patron of the arts and his interest in architecture (although not universally appreciated) lead to the construction of many opulent buildings, especially in his beloved Athens, which he attempted to make the cultural centre of the Empire.

The 30 structures built at the retreat in (modern day) Tivoli reflect many of the architectural designs he saw on his travels. One of the most interesting was the so called maritime theatre, a round portico with a barrel vault supported by pillars. Inside the portico was a ring-shaped pool with a central island. The island contained a small house with a full range of facilities which was probably used by the Emperor as a personal retreat, inside this most palatial of retreats.