Discovery of Caligula’s garden under Piazza Pia in Rome

During the reconstruction of Piazza Pia in Rome, related to preparations for the Vatican’s Jubilee Year in 2025, Italian archaeologists found the remains of a portico and a garden belonging to Emperor Caligula (reigned 37-41 CE), known for his despotic rule.

Workers revealed a travertine wall, portico colonnades and an open space that could have served as a garden. The discovery of lead irrigation pipes confirms the assumption about the agricultural nature of this place. Piazza Pia is located in the former Gardens of Agrippina, a luxurious estate that once covered the grounds of the Vatican.

The water pipes running through the garden contain inscriptions with the name Caligula – Gaius Caesar August Germanicus – and his great-grandmother.

Outside the ruins of the garden, archaeologists found numerous reliefs made of terracotta. These reliefs depict scenes from Roman mythology and were used as friezes decorating the roofs and walls of buildings.