In May-June 2011, the excavations promoted by the Superintendency of Rome in collaboration with the University of Boulder, Colorado, continued in the area of the palace of Maxentius to the east of the Aula Palatina. The aim was to expose more of the Hadrianic porticoed structure, discovered during the course of previous excavations. A stretch of the portico’s back wall and the remains of a drainage system built in tufa blocks running along the line of the colonnade were excavated. The wall was built in opus mixtum and was compatible with other structures belonging to the 2nd century villa (attributed to Herodes Atticus). It had been altered in the post-Hadrianic period, with the opening of a passage, later blocked. The extension to the east of the excavation area in correspondence with this aperture revealed the associated room, paved in marble slabs. The portico, which showed traces of the mortar floor make up, was demolished in the Maxentian period to make way for the construction of the Aula Palatina. This portico probably formed one side of the garden peristyle of the villa of Herodes Atticus. The finds recovered are being studied at present.

At the end of the campaign, the technicians of the Subterranean Rome Association began exploration of well n. 1, discovered by earlier excavations, in the south-western corner of the Aula Palatina. More cuniculi were discovered, relating to various phases of the development of the water supply system overlaid by various residential structures and the palace of Maxentius. These structures will be excavated in future campaigns.