One of the best-preserved homes from the Rome of Augustus, famous for its frescoes. Discover what they depict, why they matter and how to access the limited-entry rooms.
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The House of Livia is a 1st-century BC residence on the Palatine, linked to the family of Augustus and famous for its Second Style frescoes. It is visited with timed, limited entry, usually included in a ticket dedicated to the hill's special rooms.
Attributed to Livia Drusilla, wife of the emperor Augustus, the house belongs to the oldest residential core of the Palatine. The rooms preserve mosaic floors and, above all, frescoes that show the extraordinary level of Roman painting in the Augustan age.
The walls depict mythological scenes and landscapes: among the best known are Polyphemus and Galatea and Io guarded by Argus, framed by painted architecture that plays with perspective. It is a rare glimpse of how the Roman elite lived before the great palaces were built.
The House of Livia stands next to the House of Augustus, also frescoed and limited-entry. The two homes are often visited together, because they tell the same historical moment: the shift from republic to principate, when Augustus chose the Palatine as his residence to bind himself to the myth of Romulus.
As these are delicate interiors, access is regulated for small groups and time slots. A dedicated ticket — often called the "full" or "S.U.P.E.R." route — usually adds these rooms to the Forum-Palatine ticket. Places are few and sell out early, especially at weekends.
The hours for these rooms can differ from the hill's general times and change for conservation reasons. Check actual availability in the calendar and see the Palatine opening hours.
Check dates and experiences that include the hill's imperial rooms.
Check dates & availabilityYes, but with timed, limited entry and few places. A ticket dedicated to the Palatine's special rooms is usually required, to be booked in advance.
Mythological scenes and landscapes in the Roman Second Style, including Polyphemus and Galatea and Io guarded by Argus, framed by painted perspectival architecture.
Not always. The base ticket gives access to the hill, but the frescoed rooms often require a specific ticket. Check what your chosen format includes.
They are two neighbouring, contemporary homes, both frescoed and limited-entry. They are often visited together on the same route.
