The Athenaeum was a school founded by the Emperor Hadrian for the promotion of literary and scientific studies. The name "Athenaeum" came from the city of Athens, which was still regarded as the seat of intellectual refinement. The Athenaeum was situated near the Capitoline Hill: its site was discovered in 2009 during excavation for the construction of the Rome Metro C Line, in the middle of what is now Piazza Venezia.