In 1863, at the villa Livia Drusilla (Villa di Livia), the wives of Emperor Octavian Augustus, an unusual work of art was found. The underground chamber has been designed so that the visitor has an amazing artistic experience.
Villa di Livia was built at the end of the 1st century BCE in the Roman quarter of Prima Porta. The building became famous because of finding the marble statue of Augustus and the discovery of a beautiful fresco included in the so-called second Pompeian style.
The fresco covering the walls of the room shows a lush garden, full of firs, oaks and other vegetation, which are shown in a stunning perspective. For both ancient Romans and modern, this painting is extremely vivid. Everyone who stands in the middle of the room will feel part of this world. It was an ancient attempt to create a “virtual world”.
