The African Severian dynasty’s contributions were fundamental to the architectural, historical and artistic evolution of Rome and the Empire. This exhibition will present the Empire’s last period of greatness to a wider public, when the leadership of strong emperors left a lasting and impactful legacy in many fields, despite the start of the decline.

The exhibition itinerary features each of the monuments that the dynasty built or restored in the main archaeological area, from the Colosseum to the Templum Pacis and the Forum.

The itinerary begins in the gallery of the Colosseum’s second order, where visitors are introduced to the dynasty’s history and characteristics and are given the economical and social context of the time which was profoundly influenced by the Severian dynasty and the reforms they enacted. The itinerary then highlights the intense relationship between the emperors and Rome, with the extraordinary document that is the Forma Urbis. The last part is dedicated to the artistic production of the time and focuses on the Palatine Hill and Forum, especially the monuments linked to the emperors. For the first time ever, in the Temple of Romolus, the cycle of sculptures found at Elagabalus’s baths, a series of exquisite marble busts, will be shown to the public.

There are many parts of the Forum and Palatine Hill which are relevant to the exhibition: the remains of Elagabalus’s baths will be open to the public for the first time, the “Vicus ad Carinas” complex, the Domus Augustana, Domus Severiana, the Stadium and the Vigna Barberini on the Palatine Hill.

The original architectural decor and the interventions will be explained by a series of posters and film clips.