Another luxury hotel in Rome that has very good bones
Nicole Winfield Associated Press
Rome. Rome's next luxury hotel has some very good bones: The ruins of the Nero Theatre, an imperial theater mentioned in ancient Roman texts but never found, have been found under the garden of the future Four Seasons Hotel, just steps from the Vatican, archaeologists said on Wednesday.
Since 2020, archaeologists have been digging deep within the walled garden of Palazzo della Roveri as part of a planned renovation of the frescoed Renaissance building. The palace, housed in a building on the wide Via della Conciliazione leading to St. Peter's Square, is home to the ancient Order of Vatican Knights, who provide a hotel room to raise funds for Christians in the Holy Land.
The Governor General of the Order of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, Leonardo Visconti dei Madroni, confirmed during a press conference announcing the archaeological find that the hotel chain at the entrance is the Four Seasons Hotel. According to news reports, the hotel is expected to open in time for the Vatican's anniversary in 2025, when about 30 million people and pilgrims are expected to flock to Rome.
Officials called the excavation results "extraordinary" as they offer a rare glimpse into part of Roman history from the Roman Empire to the 15th century. Among the finds: 10th century stained glass and ceramics, which is unusual as very little is known about this period in Rome.
Marcia de Mento, the region's chief archaeologist, noted that only seven glass goblets from this period have been found and excavations at the site have unearthed seven more.
In addition, archaeologists have found marble columns and stucco decorated with gold leaf, leading them to conclude that there, at a location near the Tiber, was actually the theater of Nero, mentioned in the texts of Pliny the Elder, the ancient Roman writer and philosopher.
Officials said the wearable antiques would be moved to a museum and the ruins of the theater building itself would be unearthed once all the research was completed.
