Livia's Villa
Along via Flaminia, near Prima Porta, there is Livia's Villa, also called Ad Gallinas to celebrate the wonder of the hen with a laurel branch, a sign of prosperity for the Julio-Claudian dynasty. According to the literary sources, the hen would have come from the sky to Livia Drusilla, wife of the Emperor Augustus. Livia was told to breed the hen and plant the branch, from which a small sacred wood would develop. Afterwards, all the emperors, on the occasion of their triumphs, would have a branch of laurel in their hands and a laurel crown on their head, both coming from that wood.
The villa, built on a large terraced area facing the river Tiber, divided into residential and representation sections characterized by rich decorations, and completed with a big thermal area and a garden, is famous for its paintings of a cool and luxuriant garden that were taken off in 1951 and that are now on display in Palazzo Massimo - National Roman Museum.
Province: Rome Region: Lazio
