Gardens of Maecenas

The Gardens of Maecenas, built by the Augustan era patron of the arts Gaius Maecenas, were the first gardens in the Hellenistic-Persian garden style in Rome. He sited them on the Esquiline Hill, atop the Servian Wall and its adjoining necropolis, near the gardens of Lamia.

Site

It is not easy to reconcile the indications of the ancient literature or to determine their exact location. Topographers are not agreed as to whether they lay on both sides of the Servian Wall and both north and south of the porta Esquilina. Many of the burial pits of the ancient necropolis have been found near the north-west corner of the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, that is, outside the porta Esquilina and the Servian Wall, and north of the via Tiburtina vetus, and probably the horti extended north from this gate and road on both sides of the agger

Facilities

Maecenas is said to have been the first to construct a swimming bath of hot water in Rome, which may have been in the gardens. Whether the horti Maecenatiani bought by Fronto were the former gardens...
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