Villa Jovis ("Villa of

Jupiter Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a mass more than two and a half times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined, but slightly less than one-thousandth t ...

") is a

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

palace on Capri, southern

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

, built by emperor

Tiberius Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus (; 16 November 42 BC – 16 March AD 37) was the second Roman emperor. He reigned from AD 14 until 37, succeeding his stepfather, the first Roman emperor Augustus. Tiberius was born in Rome in 42 BC. His father ...

and completed in AD 27. Tiberius ruled mainly from there until his death in AD 37. Villa Jovis is the largest of the twelve Tiberian villas on Capri mentioned by

Tacitus Publius Cornelius Tacitus, known simply as Tacitus ( , ; – ), was a Roman historian and politician. Tacitus is widely regarded as one of the greatest Roman historians by modern scholars. The surviving portions of his two major works—the ...

. The entire complex, spanning several terraces and a difference in elevation of about 40 m, covers some 7,000 m² (1.7 acres). While the remaining eight levels of walls and staircases only hint at the grandeur the building must have had in its time, recent reconstructions have shown the villa to be a remarkable testament to 1st-century Roman architecture.

Location and description of the palace

Villa Jovis is situated in the very northeast of the island atop Monte Tiberio; its 334 m elevation makes it the second-highest peak of Capri, after

Monte Solaro Monte Solaro is a mountain on the island of Capri in Campania, Italy. With an elevation of 589 m, its peak is the highest point of Capri. It contains the "Fortino di Bruto", a blockhouse which was used in battles between Britain and F ...

(589 m elevation) in

Anacapri Anacapri () is a ''comune'' on the island of Capri, in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Italy. Anacapri is located higher on the island than Capri (about higher on average)http://www.capritourism.com/imgg/download/capri_map_en.pdf —the Anc ...

. The north wing of the building contained the living quarters, while the south wing saw administrative use. The east wing was meant for receptions, whereas the west wing featured an open-walled hall (''ambulatio'') which offered a scenic view towards Anacapri.Krause (2003), p. 83 As water was difficult to come by where the villa was built, Roman engineers constructed an intricate system for the collection of rainwater from the roofs and a large cistern that supplied the palace with fresh water. South of the main building there are remains of a

watch tower A watchtower or watch tower is a type of fortification used in many parts of the world. It differs from a regular tower in that its primary use is military and from a turret in that it is usually a freestanding structure. Its main purpose is t ...

(''specula'') for the quick

telegraph Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas p ...

ic exchange of messages with the mainland, e.g. by fire or smoke. Access to the complex is only possible on foot, and involves an uphill walk of about two kilometres from Capri town.

Tiberius and his life on Capri

Apparently, the main motivations for Tiberius's move from Rome to Capri were his wariness of the political manoeuvring in Rome and a lingering fear of assassination. The villa is situated at a very secluded spot on the island and Tiberius's quarters in the north and east of the palatial villa were particularly difficult to reach and heavily guarded. The Villa Jovis is also, at least according to Suetonius, the place where Tiberius engaged in wild debauchery.Suetonius, ''The Lives of Twelve Caesars'', Life of Tiberiu
43
/ref> Modern historians regard these tales as sensationalized, but Suetonius' stories at least paint a picture of how Tiberius was perceived by the Roman people at the time.Wallace-Hadrill, Andrew (1984) ''Suetonius: The Scholar and His Caesars'', Yale University Press,

Gallery

File:Capri sights.png, Map of Capri with Villa Jovis in the north-east corner of the island File:Villa Jovis, Reconstructed by C. Weichardt.jpg, Reconstruction by Weichardt (1900), view from the south-west File:Villa Jovis, Reconstructed by C. Weichardt, from East.jpg, Reconstruction by Weichardt (1900), view from the east File:Tiberius Capri Louvre Ma1248.jpg, Marble statue of Tiberius found on Capri

Footnotes

References and further reading

*Clemens Krause, 2003. "Villa Jovis — Die Residenz des Tiberius auf Capri", ''Zaberns Bildbände zur Archäologie'' (Mainz am Rhein) *Clemens Krause, Villa Jovis. L'edificio residenziale, electa napoli 2006.

External links

Capri Online: Villa Jovis - Mount TiberioPhoto Gallery from Capri Island
{{authority control 27 Houses completed in the 1st century Jovis Buildings and structures in Capri, Campania Tourist attractions in Campania Archaeological sites in Campania National museums of Italy Tiberius