The imperial palaces of the Palatine Hill are traditionally considered among the primary hubs for architectural and decorative creations, especially evident in the spaces designated for hosting significant ceremonial functions related to the emperor. Within the Roman palace of Domitian, the two large halls known as Aula Regia and Triclinium were dedicated to these representative functions, serving as the heart of the residence. Both of them share the same planimetric and volumetric characteristics: imposing rectangular apsidal spaces with superimposed architectural orders and luxurious marble pavements and revetments (Mortera 2020; Caprioli, Mortera, Pensabene forthcoming).

Similar large receptions halls can be found in many other contexts throughout the Empire, such as in the imperial palaces of Thessaloniki, Trier, and Gamzigrad-Romuliana, or in suburban residences such as the villa of Maxentius along the Via Appia, the villa of Piazza Armerina in Sicily, or the complex of Cercadilla in Córdoba. The level of knowledge about these halls is quite uneven, and they have been primarily and exhaustively studied from an architectural perspective, specifically exploring the role that they held within the palaces. On the other hand, less attention has been devoted to the study of their respective decorative features and schemes (Ruppienė 2021).

This paper aims to provide an overall examination of these grand reception halls from an architectural as well as decorative perspective, investigating whether and to what extent the "model" of the imperial palace in Rome has been effectively received, replicated, or reinterpreted outside the Palatine Hill.

References

Ruppienė, V. (ed.), 2021. Stone and Splendor. Interior Decorations in Late-antique Palaces and Villas. Wiesbaden.

Mortera, A., 2020. L'opus sectile scomparso dell'Aula Regia della Domus Flavia. Una proposta ricostruttiva, in: Cecalupo, C., Erba, M.E. (eds.), Atti del XXV Colloquio AISCOM, Roma: 211-224.

Caprioli, F., Mortera, A., Pensabene, P., forthcoming. Coloured marbles of the Imperial Palace on the Palatine hill: research insights, in Ladstätter, S., Prochaska, W., Anevlavi, V. (eds.), Proceedings of the ASMOSIA XIII Conference, forthcoming.