the Hadrianeum - an unexpected visit
In the Eternal City of Rome, nestled a few blocks away from the Pantheon, is a much smaller but equally impressive structure with ancient columns. My partner and I stumbled upon the Temple of Hadrian, Il Tempio di Adriano, as we made our way through a day of sightseeing. It wasn’t on our itinerary for the day, but it grabbed our interest as we walked by and the “free admission” sign certainly encouraged us to check it out.
The Temple of Hadrian ended up being one of my favorite sites in Rome! The best part of it was the informational video, which was a rather immersive experience shown in a small theater in a side room of the renovated-yet-preserved temple. Photos were not allowed, and while I wish I could have taken a few snapshots of the video, I’m glad I was able to just focus on information being presented without getting distracted by my own photography.
About 20-minutes in length, the video was projected onto a white wall in the theater. The slanted walls on either side and the angled ledge beneath the “screen” allowed for almost 3D projections, immersing my entire field of vision with the reenactments, maps, and storytelling shown. Upon entering the theater, each guest was given a headset after selecting their preferred language for the narration. I loved having the headphones, because not only did that obviously allow me to listen to it in English, but also gave me control of the volume. The main thing I dislike about movie theaters is how loud they are!
The immersive aspect of the projection was incredible. When I first realized the video was formatted that way, I got a bit nervous that it would be overwhelming or dizzying. But conveniently, for me at least, it was riveting! I loved it so much. I could have happily sat through multiple viewings of the video. It was such a visually pleasing way to learn the history of the Hadrianeum. The temple has a rich history, as the building served many different purposes throughout its long life, well after the deified Emperor Hadrian was no longer in need of a temple.
There was a ton of information to present in 20-some minutes, but I’m a sucker for a good info-dump! One of the most enjoyable visual effects was the flame-like spiral used to signify a new time period - the orange lights swirling behind the date projected on the wall made me feel like I was swirling through time. I must admit that stylistically, it was a rather outdated effect. A special effect that would be used by a youngster figuring out how to create Sailor Moon-style transformation sequences in iMovie. But still, the tendrils of orange light just tickled the sweet sweet dopamine receptors in my brain. And also, I love the swirly colors and lights in an anime transformation sequence ;)
If you or someone you’re traveling with enjoys colorful visual stims, I highly recommend checking out the Tempio di Adriano. Outside of the immersive info video, it is much smaller and less crowded than the more famous sites in Rome, so for me it was significantly less overwhelming. It was not overwhelming at all, actually! We went there on our way to the Pantheon, and it was surprisingly beneficial to help me find my zen before I had to brave the crowds at the larger temple/basilica.
Side-note: this is one of the (many) public places in Italy/Europe that requires a 1€ coin to enter the restroom! When traveling in Europe make sure you always have a handful of euro coins for public restroom needs.
To read more about The Temple of Hadrian and its history, check it out on Atlas Obscura:
take care of yourself <3
~heather
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