The Domus Aurea is an opulent pleasure palace built in Rome by Nero after the great fire of A.D. 64. Taking advantage of widespread devastation, Nero seized land for his own use and erected an expansive residence where he could display himself to best advantage. Fireproof brick faced concrete walls were decorated by the remarkable painter Fabullus, and the equally talented Severus and Celer designed a dining room with a revolving ceiling, among other notable gimmicks. The surviving octagonal room is one of the most important spaces in Roman architecture and set the stage for the domed interior of the Pantheon.

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