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Rome | Tomb of Agrippina — Bacoli
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Historical Sites 📍 Bacoli, Italy 257 views

Rome | Tomb of Agrippina

Near the sea there are the remains of a building of the imperial age, in which tradition has wanted to recognize the tomb of Agrippina, mother of Nero. Actually the monument is a theatre-nymphaeum, part of an imposing maritime villa, which has been destroyed. The structure, born...

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Rome | Tomb of Agrippina — Bacoli, Italy.

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Bacoli
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Historical Sites
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About Rome | Tomb of Agrippina

Rome | Tomb of Agrippina - Bacoli | Secret World Trip Planner

Near the sea there are the remains of a building of the imperial age, in which tradition has wanted to recognize the tomb of Agrippina, mother of Nero.

Actually the monument is a theatre-nymphaeum, part of an imposing maritime villa, which has been destroyed. The structure, born as odeion (covered theatre for musical auditions or mime performances) in the Augustan or Julio-Claudian age, between the end of the 1st and the beginning of the 2nd century A.D. was transformed into an exedra nymphaeum.

The monument consists of three hemicycles arranged on several levels: about 1.30 m below the level of the current beach opens the first hemycle, while the middle one is covered by a rampant vault on whose extrados are preserved the signs of a staircase in opus reticulatum; three openings interspersed with windows mark the outer wall. At a lower level there is also a room covered by a vault decorated with stuccoes; the walls of the niches and windows and the corridor that originally connected the building with the villa are similarly decorated. On the same level as the previous one there is a third hemicycle, whose vault has collapsed and whose internal wall is marked by half-columns covered in stucco with Corinthian capitals, so as to form a sort of corridor divided into small rooms by transversal partitions.

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    Rome | Tomb of Agrippina
    📍 Bacoli
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Frequently Asked Questions

Despite local tradition identifying it as Agrippina's tomb, the monument is actually a theatre-nymphaeum that was part of a grand maritime villa. The structure was originally built as an odeion (covered theatre) during the Augustan or Julio-Claudian period and was later converted into an exedra nymphaeum between the 1st and 2nd centuries A.D.
The site features three hemicycles arranged on multiple levels, with the lowest one opening about 1.30 meters below the current beach level. Visitors can observe the middle hemicycle's rampant vault with opus reticulatum staircase remains, decorated rooms with stuccoed walls and Corinthian half-columns, and multiple windows and openings that once connected to the larger villa complex.
The monument is situated near the sea in Rome, making it accessible to visitors interested in maritime archaeological sites. Its proximity to the beach allows for a unique combination of coastal scenery and ancient Roman history.
The theatre-nymphaeum was originally constructed during the Augustan or Julio-Claudian age and underwent significant renovation between the end of the 1st and beginning of the 2nd century A.D., when it was transformed from a covered theatre into an exedra nymphaeum. This makes it a significant example of imperial-age Roman architecture spanning multiple centuries.
The site showcases impressive Roman engineering with its multi-level hemicycles, decorative stucco work on walls and ceilings, Corinthian capitals on half-columns, and the remains of sophisticated vault construction. The preserved corridor system and niche decorations provide excellent insights into how luxury maritime villas functioned during the Roman imperial period.

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