My family know how much I love mosaics, so they will not be surprised when I say that going to see the Roman mosaics at this villa has been one of the highlights of this trip so far.
The villa, which is set in the middle of nowhere, was once a huge farm estate owned Maximian, who was co-emperor with Diocletian. It houses the best preserved and most extensive Roman mosaics in the world and it is truly impressive. Mike and I visited with no clear idea of what to expect; probably some patches of mosaics here and there, with much imagination needed to form a true impression of the villa. After all, we’ve seen mosaics before.
What we found were room after room of often nearly complete mosaics over a huge site. The villa had been partly reconstructed to give a wonderful idea of the lavish lifestyle and elegant architecture of this estate. There were banqueting halls, reception rooms, outdoor eating areas, colonnaded porticos, latrines, extensive bath house with lap pool, changing areas, etc., bedrooms, kitchen – all beautifully covered with mosaic flooring. In some places, the marble facing on the walls was still intact, and in others, traces of frescoes could be seen.
Not only were the mosaics absolutely stunning, illustrating scenes of typical Roman pursuits, as well as mythological stories, but the layout of the villa gives a wonderful idea of what life must have been like for a rich and powerful Roman family. This site alone gave me more insight into the Roman way of life than anything else that I have seen in Rome, or at Herculaneum.
The villa was in use from about the 4th century AD, until about 1200, when a mudslide almost completely covered the building and helped preserve the site. It was rediscovered in the 1900s.
Jen’s rating: * * * * *
absolutely have to agree these are stunning. I'm guessing they are the best of your photos but the clarity & the fact that they look mostly intact is seriously amazing. BTW love the bikini clad babes frolicking around HaHa xx PJ
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