Biblioteca di Adriano
Athens
Hadrian's Library is a vast Roman enclosure from AD 132, in the heart of Monastiraki. Tall columns on pedestals still stand on its facade.
An emperor's dream
Hadrian wanted to make Athens the cultural capital of his empire. In AD 132 he had this huge marble enclosure built.
The inner courtyard was surrounded by a hundred columns and had a garden. At the far end were the book rooms, with niches in the walls. Other halls were used for lessons and meetings. The ceilings were of gilded wood and the walls were covered with marble and paintings.
What to look at
Look at the facade on Areos Street. The columns stand on tall pedestals and jut out from the wall, as on a triumphal arch.
Inside the enclosure are the remains of three churches. They were built one on top of another, between the fifth and eleventh centuries.
Centuries of stories
In 267 the Heruli ravaged the city. In the early fifth century the prefect Herculius had the enclosure restored. Later its walls became part of the city's defences.
In the 1800s King Otto's barracks stood here. The ruins reappeared after the bazaar fire at the end of that century. Excavations have uncovered sculptures and floors.
Outside the enclosure, Areos Street and Adrianou Street are full of workshops and people. The contrast between ancient marble and everyday life is the charm of this area.
