Villa Jovis, Capri

Villa Jovis, Capri

Villa Jovis is a throwback to the Roman heritage of Capri, built by Emperor Tiberius in 27 AD as his residence.

Villa Jovis is a throwback to the Roman heritage of Capri, built by Emperor Tiberius in 27 AD as his residence. Spread over 7000 m² atop Monte Tiberio at a height of 330 metres, Villa Jovis is the largest of the 12 Tiberian villas on Capri. Its location offered privacy and security, while presenting gorgeous views of the island and sea.

The classical Roman style villa is spread over several terraced levels at different heights. The north wing had the living quarters of the Emperor and his trusted advisors, with views over the Gulf of Naples. The east wing, with its ambulatio, had the throne room and was used for official functions and receptions, while the west had the servants' accommodation. To the south were the atrium, kitchen, and baths, divided into the traditional frigidarium, tepidarium and caldarium alongside the apodyterium. The systems developed to collect rainwater from the roofs and store in 4 cisterns for supplying fresh water all over the palace are a testament to the advancement of Roman engineering in the 1stcentury AD. The complex has a small Church of Santa Maria del Soccorso, in front of which is a statue of the Madonna. The stairway behind the villa leads to the Salto di Tiberio (Tiberius’ Leap), a steep cliff from where Tiberius had his detractors flung out to the sea.