Nero's Palace Collapse: Trajan Gallery in Nero's Palace Collapses

by Amy Judd | March 30, 2010 at 02:41 pm

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Rome's Nero's Palace (Domus Aurea) Suffered a Partial Collapse on Tuesday March 30, When Half of the Trajan Gallery Fell Down

A popular tourist attraction in Rome, the ancient emperor Nero's palace, suffered a partial collapse due to water seepage and Antonello Vodret, the monument's technical director called it the 'most significant collapse' between the Roman Colosseum and the Forum where the monument is located. It was half of the Trajan Gallery at the Domus Aurea or the Golden House that suffered the collapse; thankfully no one was hurt or trapped in the rubble.

Other collapses have occurred on site in the past, but none to this extent and caretakers called it a 'worrying signal' about the safety of the attraction. It was not open to the public at the time of the incident.

"The ground is soaked with water," said Vodret, adding that a maintenance worker heard the collapse.

Another site official, Luciano Marchetti, told Italy's ANSA news agency that other collapses could occur.

However, Rome culture official Umberto Croppi said "the damage is not very serious. The gallery is a structure independent from the Domus Aurea."

The Domus Aurea contains beautiful mosaics and before its closure to be restored, it attracted about 1,000 visitors a day. It was closed before in 2005, when flooding also became a concern but it was reopened in 2006.

Nero's Palace was built in an area cleared by the Great Fire of Rome in AD 64, and it contained a 30 meter statue of himself called The Colossus of Nero. It is thought that the original palace was anywhere between 100 and 300 acres.