Domus Augusti (House of Augustus), Rome

The House of Augustus, situated near the Hut of Romulus on the Palatine Hill, is not to be confused with another prime real estate in the area — the Domus Augustana (the fancier one built later for emperors with bigger egos, who enjoyed bigger reception rooms…). As for this executive mansion, it had slightly better interior design and was the actual home address of Emperor Augustus himself — the man who turned Rome from a republic into a fully functioning empire...

Augustus didn’t just build it from scratch. According to the ancient gossip-columnist Suetonius, he simply moved in (from his original residence in the Roman Forum) to the villa of the prominent statesman Quintus Hortensius. Shortly thereafter, the place was struck by lightning. Naturally, amid the lack of electrical knowledge, Augustus decided the whole estate now clearly belonged to the gods. And when Jupiter gives you lemons, you build a temple. So, Augustus built one, right next door, dedicating it to Apollo, his divine patron.

Of course, even imperial homes aren’t safe from everyday chaos. A fire in 3 AD damaged the residence, so it was rebuilt, upgraded, and — in true government fashion — turned into state property. Spanning some 8,600 square meters, the house was constructed on two terraces, utilizing the natural topography of the Palatine Hill and blending status with subtlety. Its layout revolved around two elegant peristyles (basically fancy courtyard-runways for power strolling), though only one survives today, thanks to later emperors building even bigger palaces right on top of it.

The Roman Empire may have been grand, but Augustus himself avoided gold-plated tackiness. Instead, he preferred tasteful frescoes and low-key luxury — the minimalist emperor before minimalism was cool.