Twenty miles outside Rome lie the ruins of an extraordinary complex built by the Roman Emperor Publius Aelius Hadrianus Augustus (76–138 CE). Hadrian’s Villa, as it is known, dates to around 120 CE and comprises a sprawling collection of buildings, gardens, and fountains that has inspired centuries of architectural design and stands as a major monument in the history of Western architecture. Nearly twice the size of Pompeii, the complex is so architecturally intricate that scholars still disagree on basic questions of how it actually functioned. It can be read as a catalog of the emperor’s personal architectural obsessions —obsessions our speaker has spent the past forty years working to decipher since receiving a Fulbright study grant in 1986.

Our speaker and guide to the Villa, Michael Ytterberg, PhD, RA, LEED AP, has been a practicing architect for 45 years. He was most recently Founding Principal of MY Architecture in Philadelphia, where he specialized in multi-family housing, earning awards and recognition in national publications. For thirty-eight years, he has also served as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Architecture at Drexel University.

With a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania and years of experience working with developer clients, Michael has successfully bridged academic discipline with the business of real estate development. He is a frequent presenter and panelist at conferences on the design and development of multi-family housing.

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The Scholars Gild, a part of the Arden Club, meets on the third Tuesday of the month, September through June. We usually use a hybrid Live-Zoom model. There are sometimes technical glitches so your patience is appreciated.

There is no fee to attend Scholars Gild discussions.  We encourage all to donate live or at http://ardenclub.org/donate/.  Your support helps keep the virtual and in-person lights on at the Club, making possible dynamic programming like concerts, theater, dance, and, of course, our Scholars Gild evenings.

To get updates and Zoom links, sign up for email notifications at ScholarsGild@gmail.com. Follow “Arden Scholars’ Gild” on Facebook, and you can see recordings of past events by going to our YouTube Channel at “Arden Scholars Gild”.