Ancient Rome's Largest Fresco and Mosaic Complex, Featuring a Mysterious Maritime City, Opens to the Public After 2,000 Years

The Painted City fresco and Great Mosaic—the largest wall mosaic ever found in the Roman world, measuring 33 feet high by 52 feet wide—opened to the public this week in Rome after being hidden underground for nearly 2,000 years. The artworks, created in the first century C.E., were discovered in the 1990s during excavations of the Baths of Trajan.

The exact origins remain unclear; archaeologists believe they may be part of Emperor Nero's Domus Aurea palace, but this is unconfirmed. The mosaic continues to be excavated and appears to extend beyond the currently visible section.