Authorities in Rome have unveiled a vast 1st-century AD fresco and mosaic complex, believed to be the largest of its kind from ancient Rome. The artwork, titled the “Painted City” fresco and “Great Mosaic,” was discovered during excavations in the 1990s at the Baths of Trajan on the Oppio hill near the Colosseum.
The newly restored works are now accessible to the public in limited, small groups during a trial period of weekend access, with the aim of assessing their response to environmental factors before wider public viewing.
The fresco presents a bird's-eye view of a walled port city, featuring buildings, a theater, a temple, public piazzas, and towers. Rome's cultural superintendent, Claudio Parisi Presicce, noted the particularly well-conserved state of the depicted port city, though its specific identity remains unknown. The grandeur of the scene suggests it may have represented a particularly well-known location.
Accompanying the fresco, the “Great Mosaic” measures approximately 15 meters (yards) in height. It displays intricately decorated columns and architectural elements across four distinct levels. The upper sections evoke a theatrical setting, while the lower portions reveal a depiction of another port city, uncovered during the recent restoration.
The Baths of Trajan, dedicated in 109 AD by Emperor Trajan, were the largest bath complex in the world at the time, covering six hectares. The complex integrated an earlier structure, the Domus Aurea, and was designed to optimize the thermal experience for bathers. The accessible area also includes a large, semicircular upper-level structure identified by archaeologists as a library, suggesting the baths served not only for bathing and sport but also for cultural activities.