Un metodo di analisi delle cupole adrianee il vestibolo di Piazza d’Oro e l’aula ottagonale delle Piccole Terme

The study of domes in the Roman world represents a complex field of investigation, involving technological, formal, and theoretical aspects. This research examines the relationship between Vitruvian principles and Alexandrian technical manuals concerning the calculations required for the design and execution of buildings, relating them to the vaulted solutions of the Hadrianic period. The aim is to understand how scientific and technological knowledge influenced the conception of complex architectural forms. The adopted approach, deterministic in nature, interprets the domed spaces within the context of Hadrian’s Villa at Tivoli, highlighting how the conditions and rapid execution of two specific domes—the vestibule of the Golden Court and the octagonal hall of the Small Baths—resulted from advanced geometric and mathematical expertise combined with a high degree of pragmatism, which led to significant revisions of the initial designs. Geometric schemes such as the ad quadratum, integrated with modular grids typical of classical design, provide useful tools for clarifying the connections between theory and construction practice. The comparison with buildings documented through photogrammetric and laser-scanning surveys allows for the verification of analogies and differences between theoretical procedures and on-site solutions. This combined philological and geometric approach contributes to a deeper understanding of Roman construction techniques and offers new interpretative frameworks for the study of domes within the broader context of archaeology and the history of technology.