Description

The Istituto Poligrafico Zecca della Stato, or IPZS, has issued the new coin in the series entitled, “Historical Villas and Gardens,” which focuses on some of Italy’s well-known, historical, and stately homes and their environs. The 2013-dated coin features the exquisite Hadrian's Villa in Tivoli.

Hadrian's Villa (Italian: Villa Adriana) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising the ruins and archaeological remains of a large villa complex built c. AD 120 by Roman Emperor Hadrian at Tivoli outside Rome. Hadrian is said to have disliked the palace on Palatine Hill in Rome, leading to the construction of the retreat. It was traditional for the Roman emperor to have constructed a villa as a place to relax from everyday life.

Hadrian's Villa is a vast area of land with many pools, baths, fountains and classical Greek and Roman architecture set in what would have been a mixture of landscaped gardens, wilderness areas and cultivated farmlands. Due to Hadrian's travels, he also commissioned Egyptian-style buildings and statues, even naming some of the buildings after Egyptian cities or temples.

Engraver: Maria Angela Cassol