The rare relic was found during recent excavations of the Domus Aurea, the monumental residence commissioned by Emperor Nero and located near the Colosseum in the heart of ancient Rome.

Emperor Nero was one of history’s great megalomaniacs, and the land where the Colosseum stands was once part of the vast grounds of the sprawling Domus Aurea, or Golden House of Nero.

“The fascination conveyed by the depth of blue of this pigment is incredible,” says Alfonsina Russo, the director of the Colosseum Archaeological Park, which manages the Domus Aurea, in a ...

Earlier this morning the King and Queen received a ceremonial welcome that included a spectacular flypast of the Red Arrows and their Italian counterparts, the Frecce Tricolour.