Ruins of Ancient Roman Garden ‘Owned by Emperor Caligula’ Excavated Near the Vatican

An ancient Roman garden likely owned by Emperor Caligula and dating back around 2,000 years has recently been unearthed near the Vatican .

Knewz.com has learned that the discovery was made during the construction project to pedestrianize the Piazza Pia in Rome.

The Piazza Pia is a square located just outside the Vatican walls, in proximity to St. Peter's Basilica and other notable landmarks.

The ongoing construction project focuses on connecting Castel Sant'Angelo with Via della Conciliazione, by diverting traffic through an underpass and making the square a pedestrian zone.

Notably, the project, which has a budget of around $75.8 million, is part of the preparations for the Vatican's Jubilee Year 2025, an event that is expected to see a turnout of millions of people.

The project led to the discovery of the significant 2,000-year-old garden overlooking the right bank of the river Tiber.

Archaeologists have identified walls made of travertine rocks and the base of a portico marked with the remains of several columns.

However, it was the discovery of a lead water pipe that helped the experts date the site. The pipe bears an inscription that points toward the Roman Emperor Caligula, whose brief reign spanned from 37 to 41 A.D.

Born Gaius Caesar Germanicus, the Emperor got the nickname "Caligula" – meaning "Little Boot" – from the soldiers of his father Germanicus Caesar. Emperor Caligula was also the adoptive son of the Roman Emperor Tiberius.

He is considered a rather cruel and tyrannical Emperor, who executed Naevius Sutorius Macro, a key figure in his accession to the throne of Rome. He also ordered his statue to be erected in the Temple of Jerusalem, according to Britannica .

His reign was cut short in 41 A.D. when the Praetorian Guard, the officials tasked with protecting the Emperor, turned against his rule and assassinated him.

The inscription on the lead pipe discovered at Piazza Pia reads "C(ai) Cæsaris Aug (usti) Germanici," which translates to "it is therefore Caligula, son of Germanicus and Agrippina the Elder," per the Italian Ministry of Culture .

The Ministry also stated that the garden and its association with the ancient Roman Emperor has been documented in history by 1st Century Jewish leader, philosopher, and scholar Philo, of Alexandria.

Philo wrote that Emperor Caligula had received the diplomatic minister Alexandrian Jews "in the Horti of Agrippina, in a vast garden overlooking the Tiber, separated from the river by a monumental portico," it has been reported.

The Ministry of Culture pointed out that previous excavations in the square have revealed other lead pipes bearing inscriptions that presumably point towards Livia Drusilla , the wife of Caesar Augustus and the mother of Emperor Tiberius.

Drusilla was an influential figure in ancient Rome who often provided counsel to Emperor Augustus on matters of state . It is believed that in her schemes to secure the throne for her son Tiberius, she had many of her political rivals killed.

The latest discovery of the lead pipe inscribed with the name of Emperor Caligula coincided with the efforts to relocate the remains of an ancient Roman dry cleaning enterprise, or "fullonica" from Piazza Pia. It has been reported by Wanted in Rome that the remains will be kept on display at the grounds of Castel Sant'Angelo.