Sunlight dapples the tiled floor inside the Curia Julia, the Roman Senate Houseone of 30 building interiors designed as part of the Rome Reborn simulation.
Virtual tourists can walk through the curia as it appeared to members of the senate in A.D. 320. The platforms along the sides of the hall could hold 300 seats for the senators, while the emperor and consuls sat in the rear.
Each building's design, including its statues and colored stones, was reviewed by a committee of experts, Favro said. When archaeological evidence wasn't available, the researchers turned to ancient representations such as coins of the realm, as well as Renaissance drawings and existing similar sites, to decide on dicor.
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