Nero's Theater Discovered Under Palazzo Della Rovere Near St. Peter's

Archaeologists in Rome have unearthed the remains of Nero's Theater, a 1st-century AD structure previously known only from ancient literary sources. The discovery occurred during renovations of Palazzo Della Rovere, a historic complex owned by the Order of the Holy Sepulchre and leased to Four Seasons for its first Rome hotel. Excavations, led by the Special Superintendency of Rome under Daniela Porro and directed by Renato Sebastiani, Alessio De Cristofaro, and Marzia Di Mento, revealed architectural structures, marble sculptures, a rare alabaster capital, and hundreds of artifacts including coins, glass, ceramics, and bone tools. The theater, where Nero practiced poetic and musical performances, lies five meters below street level. The site also yielded medieval and modern finds, including pilgrim badges and rosary molds, indicating later use by the Schola Saxonum. Due to groundwater, the architectural remains will be reburied for preservation, while decorative elements will be displayed in the hotel, set to open by the 2025 Jubilee.