West Portico

You enter a long, shady portico whose cool darkness is punctuated by patches of golden sunshine streaming through the stately double colonnade. This is one of the most popular retreats in Rome, offering welcome refreshment from the bustle, noise, and smells of the streets, especially the streets in the nearby Subura district.

At one end of the colonnade you see an exhibition dedicated to the founder of this portico, Livia herself. Click on the sign below to visit an exhibit of portraits of Livia and to learn more about Rome's first empress.

NB: We have no evidence that the porticus Liviae actually contained any statues of Livia, but it seems likely that it did. The portico you see here is a modern reproduction but gives some idea of the appearance of ancient Roman colonnades.