{"id":7461,"date":"2015-06-10T20:17:13","date_gmt":"2015-06-10T19:17:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/walks.friday.ie\/?p=7461"},"modified":"2025-05-29T09:41:17","modified_gmt":"2025-05-29T08:41:17","slug":"caesars-palace-house-of-augustus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/things-to-do\/caesars-palace-house-of-augustus","title":{"rendered":"Step Inside the House of Augustus: A VIP Journey Through Ancient Rome"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"\" data-start=\"225\" data-end=\"581\">At Walks, we\u2019re known for offering a variety of incredible tours across Italy, but once in a while, something comes along that truly leaves us in awe. That something is our exclusive<strong> <a title=\"VIP Caesar's Palace Tour\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/rome-tours\/vip-ancient-rome-tour-caesar-s-palace\/\">VIP Caesar\u2019s Palace Tour<\/a>,<\/strong> a journey through time to visit the legendary homes:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/top-attractions\/house-augustus-livia-tickets\"><b>Casa di Livia <\/b>and <b>Casa di Augusto.\u00a0<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"583\" data-end=\"622\">And trust us, this isn&#8217;t just any tour.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_13734\" style=\"width: 1610px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13734\" class=\"wp-image-13734 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Caesars-Palace-Rome-Main-1.jpg\" alt=\"Underground Rome is a vast array of villas, bathhouses and more.\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1067\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Caesars-Palace-Rome-Main-1.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Caesars-Palace-Rome-Main-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Caesars-Palace-Rome-Main-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-13734\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Roman Forum as seen from the VIP Caesar&#8217;s Palace tour with Walks<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/things-to-do\/caesars-palace-house-of-augustus\/#Why_this_tour_stands_apart\" >Why this tour stands apart<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/things-to-do\/caesars-palace-house-of-augustus\/#Emperor_Augustus_was_a_pretty_big_deal\" >Emperor Augustus was a pretty big deal.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/things-to-do\/caesars-palace-house-of-augustus\/#Casa_di_Augusto_The_Modest_Home_of_a_Great_Man\" >Casa di Augusto: The Modest Home of a Great Man<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/things-to-do\/caesars-palace-house-of-augustus\/#Casa_di_Livia_A_Grand_Apartment_for_a_Grand_Lady\" >Casa di Livia: A Grand Apartment for a Grand Lady<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/things-to-do\/caesars-palace-house-of-augustus\/#VIP_Caesars_Palace_Tour_An_Exclusive_Visit\" >VIP Caesar\u2019s Palace Tour: An Exclusive Visit<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 data-start=\"624\" data-end=\"654\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_this_tour_stands_apart\"><\/span><strong data-start=\"624\" data-end=\"654\">Why this tour stands apart<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"656\" data-end=\"1289\">While we\u2019ve had the privilege of guiding guests through more than 70 different Italian experiences, our VIP Caesar\u2019s Palace Tour has something <em data-start=\"799\" data-end=\"814\">extra special<\/em>. It&#8217;s the <strong data-start=\"825\" data-end=\"839\">first tour<\/strong> ever offered by any tour operator to bring you inside the <strong data-start=\"898\" data-end=\"915\">Casa di Livia<\/strong> and the <strong data-start=\"924\" data-end=\"943\">Casa di Augusto<\/strong> \u2014 the private homes of Emperor Augustus and his wife, Livia. These are not just any ruins; they\u2019re the very places where history was made. If you\u2019re fascinated by Ancient Rome, curious about the power dynamics, politics, and intrigue of the time, or if you&#8217;ve ever dreamed of stepping into the shoes of a Roman Emperor, this is the tour for you.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Emperor_Augustus_was_a_pretty_big_deal\"><\/span><span class=\"s1\"><b>Emperor Augustus was a pretty big deal. <\/b><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">As you may or may not know, Emperor Augustus, born Octavian, was the grand-nephew of Julius Caesar. After his great-uncle\u2019s death he was named heir and went head-to-head with Mark Anthony and his lover Cleopatra to become the next ruler of Rome. Following his victory (and their suspected double suicide), he established the Roman Empire and became the first Emperor of Ancient Rome, creating a constitutional framework, better road networks and an unprecedented period of peace across Rome (what a guy!)<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Depending on who you ask, you\u2019ll hear different things about Augustus: He was the father of the country, the head of Rome\u2019s religion, the leader of its army, the winner of victories, the first among equals \u2014 or a just shrewd politician. Whatever you hear though, one thing is certain; Augustus was incredibly popular for a dictator. So popular in fact, that when his house burned down in a fire, the people of Rome, rich and poor alike, donated money to rebuild it, unprompted. Augustus declared his gratitude but accepted only one coin from each donation, however great.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Augustus was a pretty big deal &#8211;<strong> so I\u2019m sure you can imagine, how excited we were when we were first invited to visit his house.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7470\" style=\"width: 1219px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7470\" class=\"wp-image-7470 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/WofI_150526_0149.jpg\" alt=\"Casa di Augusto - The House of Augustus on Walks of Italy's 'Caesar's Palace Tour'\" width=\"1209\" height=\"802\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/WofI_150526_0149.jpg 1209w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/WofI_150526_0149-768x509.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1209px) 100vw, 1209px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-7470\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Casa di Augusto &#8211; The House of Augustus<\/p><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Casa_di_Augusto_The_Modest_Home_of_a_Great_Man\"><\/span><b>Casa di Augusto: The Modest Home of a Great Man<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\">Rather than building his own palace, as many would do upon becoming the ruler of the world\u2019s greatest empire, Emperor Augustus purchased an existing house on the Palatine Hill. It wasn\u2019t particularly grand \u2014 two floors, short arches (meaning a low roof) and no marble in sight. Nor did he use all of this modest space. Word has it that he spent 40 years sleeping in the same room, regardless of the weather and to the detriment of his health.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The symbolism of this was incredibly powerful. Augustus\u2019s modesty and his choice of location (right beside the Hut of Romulus, where Romans came to honour the founder of the city), elevated him in the eyes of his people almost to the point of sainthood \u2014 the natural predecessor of Romulus himself.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Much to the joy of visitors today though, he did do a little decorating. The best painters in Rome were hired to paint the walls of the House of Augustus. They painted theatre scenes and masks; porticos and columns. They painted in reds and yellows and blues; in a style that visitors may find reminiscent of those at Pompeii. Only these are better. In fact, they\u2019re some of the best examples of Roman wall paintings that you\u2019ll find anywhere \u2014 and they\u2019re still in their original location: In the very spot where Emperor Augustus once looked on them, standing in the same spot where visitors now pause to admire them 2,000 years later. <\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7471\" style=\"width: 1220px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7471\" class=\"wp-image-7471 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Caesars-Palace_Masks.jpg\" alt=\"Paintings in the House of Augustus on Walks of Italy's new 'VIP Caesar's Palace Tour'.\" width=\"1210\" height=\"803\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Caesars-Palace_Masks.jpg 1210w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Caesars-Palace_Masks-768x510.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1210px) 100vw, 1210px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-7471\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The &#8216;Room of the Masks&#8217; in The House of Augustus: The whole room is painted in the theme of a theatre and incredibly well preserved<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\">The House of Augustus is great because visitors can do a full walk-through, seeing the modest size of the rooms and their doorways, getting a feel for how life flowed through rooms, and reception halls in Ancient Rome. But we have to admit; it\u2019s the Casa di Livia, the House of Livia, that really took our breathe away.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-7472 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Casa-di-Livia-Wide.jpg\" alt=\"Casa di Livia, The House of Livia as seen on Walks of Italy's 'VIP Caesar's Palace Tour'\" width=\"1237\" height=\"807\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Casa-di-Livia-Wide.jpg 1237w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Casa-di-Livia-Wide-768x501.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1237px) 100vw, 1237px\" \/><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">Frescos at the house of Livia date back to the 1st century BC.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Casa_di_Livia_A_Grand_Apartment_for_a_Grand_Lady\"><\/span><b>Casa di Livia: A Grand Apartment for a Grand Lady<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\">When it came to Livia, Augustus was a little less modest. The arches got taller, the ceilings higher and the floors noticeably more marble-covered. She wasn\u2019t his first wife (or second) but she was the only one he loved deeply and uncompromisingly. After stealing her and her son Tiberius away from her husband, he built her the rooms we visit today; with original marble floor tiles, huge arches and domed ceilings.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Archaeologists have done an incredible job here, helped by the perfect conditions for preservation. As the House of Livia fell to ruin, the paintings fell clean off the walls and were buried safely at a consistently cool temperature. They were discovered like this and in many cases could be picked up and put back on the wall, piece by piece.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">\u00a0The effect is stunning. Entering through a small doorway, visitors descend a few steps and walk into a huge, self-contained area with vast roofs and colourful frescos. It doesn\u2019t feel so much like a restored ruin as it does a real-life palace, as cold and still as if it had air-conditioning. And the best part? Visiting alone!<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-7474 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Casa-di-Livia.jpg\" alt=\"Visit the Casa di Livia with Walks of Italy's VIP Caesar's Palace Tour\" width=\"1208\" height=\"803\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Casa-di-Livia.jpg 1208w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Casa-di-Livia-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1208px) 100vw, 1208px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"VIP_Caesars_Palace_Tour_An_Exclusive_Visit\"><\/span><span class=\"s1\"><b>VIP Caesar\u2019s Palace Tour: An Exclusive Visit<\/b><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The <i>Casa di Augusto<\/i> and the <i>Casa di Livia<\/i> have been open to the public on and off since 2008. The process used to be that visitors could line\u00a0up outside (usually for a very long time) and guards would let them in 5 at a time. That changed in recent years and a security gate was erected to keep the general public out. Today, visits to the houses of Augustus and Livia can only take place with a pre-scheduled tour and a guide. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The good news is that guests can spend more time inside now. On our <a title=\"VIP Caesar's Palace Tour\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/rome-tours\/vip-ancient-rome-tour-caesar-s-palace\/\">VIP Caesar\u2019s Palace tour<\/a> we spend an hour inside the two houses, during which time no-one else is allowed into this gated area of the Palatine Hill at all! Just our small group of 15 people or fewer \u2014 free to linger at this fresco or that room, with no need at all for headsets to hear your guide. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Although it may not have been on your top 10 list for Rome before, we\u2019d highly recommend prioritising a visit to the Casa di Augusto and Livia; for the beautiful paintings and the most peaceful visit in Ancient Rome. Oh and of course the gossip. Did we mention it\u2019s widely believed that Livia poisoned Augustus so her son could be Emperor? It\u2019s a hell of a story \u2014 but one for another day.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>Update Notice: May 21, 2025<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><i>If you love Roman history, you\u2019ll love our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/rome-tours\/vip-ancient-rome-tour-caesar-s-palace\/\">VIP Caesar&#8217;s Palace Tour with Colosseum and Roman Forum<\/a>. You&#8217;ll gain exclusive access to the Casa di Augusto, the first-century villa of Rome&#8217;s legendary statesman, Caesar Augustus while learning how he shaped history, and interesting details of his personal life. Then, get a glimpse of the daily lives of ancient Romans at the Forum before ending at the Colosseum. When in Rome\u2026join us!<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At Walks, we\u2019re known for offering a variety of incredible tours across Italy, but once in a while, something comes along that truly leaves us in awe. That something is our exclusive VIP Caesar\u2019s Palace Tour, a journey through time to visit the legendary homes:\u00a0Casa di Livia and Casa di Augusto.\u00a0 And trust us, this [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":7472,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[95,290,272,275,69,276,18],"ppma_author":[155],"class_list":["post-7461","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-things-to-do","tag-ancient-rome","tag-caesars-palace","tag-colosseum","tag-forum","tag-history","tag-palatine-hill","tag-rome"],"authors":[{"term_id":155,"user_id":3,"is_guest":0,"slug":"walksofitaly","display_name":"Walks of Italy","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9f4cd4dd0c5ab4b4bae57f3500298e23?s=96&d=mm&r=g","user_url":"http:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog","last_name":"of Italy","first_name":"Walks","job_title":"","description":"Walks began life as the passion project of two guys with one simple mission: To share their love for, and knowledge of, the city of Rome. Since then, Walks has grown into a team of over 100 ground staff and at any time up to 600 guides, operating across 13 of the world\u2019s most exciting cities (and counting!)\r\n\r\nToday we provide some of the most exclusive and beautifully designed small group tours in the industry through Italy-based Walks of Italy and around the world at Walks, where we offer special access to some of the world\u2019s most iconic landmarks and attractions as well as unique cultural experiences."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7461"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7461"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7461\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23534,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7461\/revisions\/23534"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7472"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7461"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7461"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7461"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=7461"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}