The theater belonging to Rome’s fifth emperor Nero was discovered Thursday just outside the wall of the Vatican.
Rome’s Palazzo dei Penitenzieri, otherwise known as the Palazzo della Rovere, has been undergoing renovations on its Renaissance building, where its walled courtyard has been since 2020. Under its courtyard, just west of the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Basilica, the ruins of the theater, along with artifacts, were unearthed.
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This palazzo belongs to the Catholic Church as it is owned by its Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem, which is headquartered there. Part of the renovations are meant to make way for a Four Seasons Hotel, slated to open in 2025. The unearthed theater was found where the hotel planned to plot its own garden.
Nero’s theater had references in ancient Roman literature, but its location had been previously unknown. Pliny the Elder had written pilgrimage texts that included the theater as a landmark, and others had recorded Nero’s events held there.
Rome’s special superintendent Daniela Porro said that before the discovery, seven of Nero’s glass chalices had been discovered in other areas. This most recent discovery unearthed seven more, along with costumes, cooking utensils, and pottery.
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According to Italian law, any object or landmark that is of cultural significance and greater than 50 years old falls under the protection of the government. None of the objects are allowed to be exported out of Italy without federal approval.
Nero ruled for fourteen years after becoming emperor of the then-young Roman empire at the age of 16. As the result of a rebellion within the empire, Nero fled Rome to die.
