Abstract
Built by the emperor Hadrian starting in 117 A.D., the villa is a masterpiece of ancient Roman architecture. Our Accademia Pilot project studied and surveyed the Accademia Esplanade, the highest artificial terrace of the villa, discovering that it was astronomically oriented along the solstitial axis, as were its main buildings, Accademia and Roccabruna. From 2009 to 2011 we photographed a series of light phenomena. In the Accademia at dawn of the winter solstice or at sunset of the summer solstice (opposed by 180°) the sun shines through the main axis of the building, creating spots of light in the Temple of Apollo. In Roccabruna at the summer solstice the sun creates a blade of light inside the dome. Archaeoastronomy provided a new key for understanding the meaning and function of those buildings, which were probably dedicated to the cult of the Egyptian goddess Isis, linked to the seasons.
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