https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/history-magazine/article/roman-emperor-hadrian-tivoli-residence

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/premium/history-magazine/article/1709-deep-freeze-europe-winter




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Hadrian's Villa: The World in His Backyard 
When designing his magnificent residence at Tivoli, Emperor Hadrian drew on his travels to bring the empire home with him. Combining Eastern and Greek elements, his villa showcased the Roman Empire at the peak of its power. 
he emperor Hadrian was well known for building mon-uments across the Roman Empire, a territory that had reached its widest extent when his reign began in A.D. 117. Hadri-an's Wall in Britain "and a host of other monuments, attest to his taste, activi-ty, and power," French romantic writer Chateaubriand noted inf8o3 on a visit to the emperor's villa at Tivoli near Rome. Hadrian's Villa's size, opulence, and de-sign touches from the far -flung corners of the empire are "entirely becoming for a man who once pos-sessed the world." 
Although more carefully preserved since Chateaubriand wandered through its crumbling ruins (it's been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1999), Hadri-an's Villa astounds visitors with its sheer size. Starting around A.D. 125, he oversaw the creation of 31 structures and extensive gardens, spread across a terrain of some seven square miles. 
An Exploring Emperor Constructing elaborate rural houses away from the heat and bustle of Rome was nothing new among members of the imperial aristocracy. Their villas were de-signed for the all-important Roman ac-tivity of otium —leisure— encompassing 
BEHIND THE BEARD 
THE THIRD OF THE FIVE "Good Emperors," Hadrian's reign (117-138) came atthe zenith of Roman power. The first Roman emperorto wear a fu II beard, Hadrian's association of facial hair with majesty set a fashion trend that has influenced the look of kingship ever since. 
BUST OF HADRIAN SECOND CENTURY A.D., GALLERIA DEGLI UFFIZI, FLORENCE 
eating and reading, as well as that quality preserved in modern Italian as la dolce far niente: the sweetness of doing nothing. Hadrian's Villa at Tivoli, known during the imperial period by the Latin name Tibur, would not fill the standard role of the villa as a mere vacation home. The indefatigable Hadrian envisioned it as a place to unite business and pleasure, contemplating the beautiful hilly land-scape while buckling down to the work of empire. Most important of alI, he want-ed to surround himself with reminders 
