Capri was chosen as a place of residence by two emperors: Octavian Augustus and his successor Tiberius. The latter built some particularly charming villas. By tradition, there would have been no less than twelve villas all around the island, each dedicated to one of the Olympus gods. Unfortunately, only the ruins of three remain: Villa Jovis, Sea Palace, and Damecuta. Villa Jovis is the largest and most sumptuous of all the Roman villas on Capri. Located on top of Mount Tiberio, at 354 meters above sea level, in an outstanding position, it was the main residence of Emperor Tiberius, and reflects his austere personality it its design.

The architectural concept of the villa was dictated by the need for water, and at its core are four giant masonry tanks covered with barrel vaults, now partial crumbled. This water was used to supplyt thermal baths, and 3,000 sq. meters of gardens. The altitude of the villa, so far from natural springs, forced imperial architects to contrust a complex system of canals to sustain stocks of rain water. The four tanks form a square unit, each of which was divided into cross-compartments connected by narrow passages, which could be opened or closed according to the whether the cisterns were being loaded, cleaned or emptied.

The servants area were situated over the steepest incline on the villa's grounds and rose four storys. Rooms here are small and narrow. On the ground floor are large round arches built to support servants' lodgings and toilets. The cookhouse is separated from the rest of the quarter by a narrow, empty space, designed to prevents fires extending to the main villa. This is part of the structure has suffered most damage over the years, not only from decay, but also alterations made during the Middle Ages for military purposes.  [ More...]