PUBLIC VILLA

VILLA PUBLICA

Piazza del Gesù/Piazza d'Ara Coeli/Piazza Campitelli

Park with central building where the censors performed various tasks, among which the census of the Roman people, that was held every five years, and the recruitment of citizens

There are no traces left

It was originally located east of Capitoline Hill, south of the Saepta Julia, north of the Circus Flaminius and west of the Crypta Balbi

After the fire of Campus Martius of the year 80 AD maybe it was rebuilt by Domitian (81/96) more towards south-west, in the area where the Jewish Quarter is now

Maybe it was here that Caesar offered a huge feast after his triumph of 46 BC as reported by Plutarch:

An incredible dinner party: 22,000 triclinia for nine people each were set, with a participation therefore of 198,000 people, a number of people very close to the number of those entitled to the free distributions of grain, the frumentationes