Sanctuary of Hercules Victor

The Sanctuary of Hercules the Victor is a unique monumental complex in the medieval centre of Tivoli, 30 km northeast of Rome, that combines classical and industrial archaeology.

The Sanctuary was built by the Romans between the second and the first century BC. It consists of an imposing foundation that leans out on the valley of the Aniene river, on which there was a temple dedicated to Hercules surrounded by a portico and a theatre. It stood along the via Tiburtina, an ancient transhumance route that passed under the sacred area through a gallery, the via Tecta.

Impressive Roman ruins are preserved, alongside remains of industrial structures installed here from the seventeenth to the twentieth century: factories, armouries and ironworks, foundries, a paper mill and the first hydroelectric power plant in the world capable of transmitting current at a distance. All these factories used the strenght of water, identity element of technological progress and source of fascination for Grand Tour travellers.

Visitors can admire a exceptional overlap of ancient and industrial traces, particularly evident in the museumof classical artworks housed in one of the papermill buildings, as marked by the tracks of the mine carts here preserved. The industrial history of the site is illustrated in the didactic panels along the itinerary and there are explanatory signs for the objects. The remains of the historical factories are mentioned and described in detail during guided tours.