Builders in Italy have uncovered a 2,000-year-old garden that once belonged to a Roman emperor, according to a report by LiveScience.
The garden’s travertine walls overlook the Tiber River’s banks, which flows through Rome to the east of the Vatican. According to a statement from Italy’s Ministry of Culture, the ruins were discovered during the construction of a new overpass at Piazza Pia.
While clearing the debris, archaeologists found a lead water pipe with the inscription “C(ai) Cæsaris Aug(usti) Germanici.” Researchers identified that the engraving belongs to Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, better known as Caligula. Based on this inscription, researchers believe the garden belonged to the notorious Roman emperor. Caligula was known not only as a tyrannical and ruthless leader but also as a sadist who humiliated his senate.
Caligula ascended to the throne in AD 37 and was assassinated by the Praetorian Guard—the officials who were supposed to protect him—in AD 41. In addition to the pipe, archaeologists also found Roman-era pottery and terracotta figures depicting mythological scenes that once adorned rooftops.
This remarkable discovery sheds new light on the opulent lifestyles of ancient Roman emperors and provides valuable insights into the history and architecture of the era.
