Most of the Renaissance monuments of the Palatine Hill have been destroyed over the centuries or removed during archaeological excavations of the area but one has been well preserved- it is called the Rain Nymphaeum. I thought it was fantastic! It is located at the center of the monumental ramp leading up to the Palatine from the Forum. The Nymphaeum is a vaulted structure decorated with wall paintings and a grotto-style fountain – it is behind bars so you can’t get very close to it. Bummer. The ancient stone, mixed with the bright spurts of greenery and cascading water is quite a sight.
One of the Nymphaeum’s terrace walls partially collapsed due to crazy rains in 2005. The Nymphaeum is subject to uncontrolled water through its terrace and side walls. You can see water entering the top if you go up a long flight of stairs. The wall paintings in the Nymphaeum are hard to see because of salt deposits, but the paintings remain largely intact underneath.
