One of ancient Rome’s best-preserved elite homes will open to the public in March following a major restoration, combining archaeology with digital technology. The House of the Griffins, located on the Palatine Hill near the Colosseum, will reopen on 3 March after extensive conservation work led by the Colosseum Archaeological Park.
The residence dates from between the late second century BC and the mid first century BC. It is among the oldest Republican-era buildings on the hill.
Italian archaeologist Giacomo Boni discovered the house in the late 19th century. It lay buried underground and remained remarkably intact, though centuries of dirt obscured its decoration.
Restoration began in 2024 and focused on stabilising the structure and conserving its wall paintings. Specialists removed deposits, repaired surfaces and revived the original colours. The project also installed new lighting and audiovisual systems to allow public access without damaging the fragile site.
Visitors will not enter the entire house as the underground level can only be reached by a steep staircase, which poses safety risks. Instead, the park has introduced real-time, livestreamed tours. Visitors will gather in an above-ground space while a guide explores the lower level with a video camera.
Park director Simone Quilici said the approach allows access to a site that has long remained closed. He added that the integration of archaeology and technology will become standard practice.
What lies underground?
The underground level includes eight rooms with frescoed walls and mosaic floors. A central hall features marble decoration and geometric floor patterns designed to create a three-dimensional effect. A stucco lunette with two white griffins gives the house its name. The mythical figures combine the body of a lion with the head of a bird.
Photo: Simona Murrone, courtesy of the Colosseum Archaeological Park.
Only the underground level survives today. During the Augustan period, the upper floors were demolished to make way for Emperor Domitian’s palace complex. At the time, builders filled the lower rooms with soil to support the new construction. That process preserved the space for more than 2,000 years.
Archaeologists do not know who lived in the house. However, its location and decoration suggest an owner of high social status.
Project lead Federica Rinaldi said the domus represents a textbook example of elite Roman housing.
The restoration forms part of a wider programme funded by the European Union’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The scheme aims to boost digitisation and ease pressure on Rome’s busiest tourist sites.
