
In the eastern part of Capri, on the summit of Mount Tiberio, stands the villa Jovis, mighty architectural complex built by the emperor Tiberius. Cited by Svetonius and by Pliny, the villa, that became the habitual residence of the Emperor during the last ten years of his life, is the largest and best-preserved on the island; it spreads over 7,000 sq. m. in an extraordinary panoramic position and is divided into floors and terraces that follow the slope of the land. The complex is split into four quarters, that lie around a central area containing 4 cisterns used for rainwater collection: the imperial quarters, placed to the north, including Tiberius's accommodation and the rooms reserved to his courtiers, the guests' quarters, in the eastern sector, made up of 6 rooms laid out as a semi-circle, the area used as thermal baths, to the south, divided into the traditional rooms frigidarium, tepidarium and calidarium, and finally, the accommodation for servants to the west. Annexed to the imperial residence is the loggia, the most original area of the villa, standing at a differing height of 20 m. from the main building, it served as an ambulatory and belvedere. 92 m. long, it had relaxation exhedras and in its central area contained a triclinium and probably, the specularium, the observatory used by the astronomer Trasillo, the Emperor's friend. Finally, the so-called 'Tiberius room' is very interesting, a precipice over the sea, from where, according to the writings of Sventonius, the Emperor's victims were flung after they had been tortured.