Reconstruction of Villa Jovis, the residence where Emperor Tiberius (14-37 CE) spent the end of his reign. The villa was built on the island of Capri, off the west coast of Italy.
The villa was located on the north-eastern top of a rocky mountain called Monte Tiberio and was one of the twelve emperor’s residences on the island. It was certainly the most luxurious and most used building by the emperor.
Villa Jovis had living quarters in its northern wing, while a kind of observation deck (ambulatio) was situated to the west, from which there was a stunning view of Anacapri. In the east there were the emperor’s rooms, including the throne room. There were private thermal baths in the south.
Due to the fact that the villa was away from water sources, collecting rainwater was an extremely important goal. For this purpose, there were four huge cisterns under the building, which not only provided water for residents, but also provided water to fountains and baths.
Tiberius’s decision to withdraw from Rome and settle on the island was dictated by fear for his life and a desire for peace, away from the meanders of Roman politics. Suetonius in his biography of Tiberius gives us many descriptions of the debauched feasts and the behavior of the emperor on the island, which, however, should be approached with caution.
