The Enigmatic Pilgrim at the Alchemical Palace of Palombara In the heart of the Esquiline Hill in Rome, third century AD Emperor Licinius Gallienus enjoyed the tranquility of the Horti Liciniani , a luxurious complex of ancient Roman villas with large gardens and outdoor rooms originally built in the first century BC. By the mid-17th century, the impressive Villa Palombara, home of Massimiliano II Savelli, Marquis of Palombara (1614-1685) occupied this land. The romantic vine-covered remains and buried Roman statues among the rubble and ruins of the erstwhile gardens painted the Esquiline landscape with a nostalgic magic. The Villa Palombara opposite the Nymphaeum of Alexander in a map engraved by Giovanni Battista Falda (1676).(