“A ravishing, eye-poppingly gorgeous, visually rich documentary that uses lavish computer graphics, mines a rich vein of Hollywood films and popular songs for illustration and switches from the frescoes of classical Rome to the hustle of the modern city’s streets” – Radio Times

Immerse yourself in some of the greatest masterpieces of all time in our Perpetual Guardian Planetarium with a special one-off screening of Nero’s Golden House. This special screening is in celebration of New Zealand Archaeology Week.

Rome had burnt to a cinder, but the 26-year-old Emperor Nero turned this tragedy into a triumph by ordering the construction of the grandest, most ostentatious building on earth – the Domus Aurea or Golden House.

From the ashes of central Rome rose a vast complex of palaces, pavilions, and temples set in 200 acres of parkland. The Golden House was a creation of great beauty, but became a place renowned for violence and sexual perversion where the infamous emperor would satisfy his darkest desires. So hated was this place that, after Nero’s death, his lake was deliberately paved over to allow the construction of the Coliseum. Nero’s Golden House was an audacious project – unheard of before and unequalled since. Today, a few rooms survive to remind us of its former sinister glory.

Combining new archaeological evidence, comprehensive historical research and high-end CGI, this film reconstructs for the viewer the unparalleled wonders of Nero’s Golden House. This visually bold and exciting film exposes the man behind the myth, exploring just who the real Nero was and what exactly went on in his notorious building.

Runtime 50 minutes. Written & directed by Phil Grabsky, originally produced for BBC’s Timewatch.