Domus Severiana

"The Domus Severiana is a modern name given to the final extension to the imperial palaces on the Palatine Hill in Rome, built to the south-east of the Stadium Palatinum in the Domus Augustana of Septimius Severus. It included the Baths of Septimius Severus (Latin: Balneum Palatii). All that remains of the building are the imposing brick substructures at the corner of the hill, which created an artificial platform at the same level as the palace of Domitian, extending it, since the emperors had run out of space on the hill. They were fed by a branch of the Aqua Claudia, which spanned the valley between the Palatine Hill and the Caelian Hill and whose arches are still visible. On the side facing the via Appia, Septimius Severus commissioned an impressive three-level facade akin to the scaenae frons in a theatre, with fountains and colonnades. This became known as the Septizodium. It is said that the emperor monumentalised this side of the building to impress his fellow Africans, who would arrive in Rome along the via Appia. The Septizodium's remains were demolished in the 16th century and it is only known from Renaissance drawings. The Domus Severiana was a vast and luxurious complex, and it is thought to have been the main residence of the emperors during the Severan dynasty. It was also used for official functions and ceremonies. "