A secret excavation on the outskirts of Rome According to archaeologists from the Special Superintendence of Rome, a “magnificent villa” has been uncovered that probably belonged to a member of the Antonine royal family. The remains of the first-century villa, previously unknown to archaeologists, include frescoed walls and mosaic floors that reflect the elite social status of the owners.
The villa was discovered Castell di GuidoA village about 12 miles (19 kilometers) west of the ancient city walls of Rome. In ancient times, the area was known as Lorium, and was frequented by distinguished Roman families. Roman Emperor Hadrian, antoninus pius And marcus aurelius.
In February, local police were alerted about illegal excavations on government-owned land in Castell de Guido, according to a June 15 translation. statement From the Special Superintendency of the Italian Ministry of Culture, Rome. The unauthorized excavation was done with a backhoe, which made deep cuts into the villa and left large piles of dirt.
Led by Superintending Archaeologists alessia contino Emergency excavations were carried out at the site to document and stabilize the architecture.
“Thanks to local reports and prompt intervention, it was possible to identify part of a large, previously unknown Imperial-period villa and uncover a spectacular series of decorations, as well as discover a statue in fine white marble,” Contino said in the statement.
Excavations revealed a courtyard at the entrance of the villa, two rooms decorated with frescoes and mosaics, and several other spaces related to the agricultural activities of the large, rural house. The villa was probably built in the early 1st century and was abandoned in the 3rd.
image 1 Of 12
An archaeologist cleans a floor mosaic with a Greek key or meander design at an ancient villa outside Rome.
Archaeologists found a floor mosaic with a Greek key or meander design in an ancient villa outside Rome.
An archaeologist cleans a floor mosaic with a shield design in an ancient villa outside Rome.
Archaeologists found a floor mosaic with a gradient design in an ancient villa outside Rome.
Archaeologists found a geometric floor mosaic in an ancient villa outside Rome.
Archaeologists found a geometric floor mosaic in an ancient villa outside Rome.
Aerial photograph of an ancient Roman villa discovered in Castell di Guido, near Rome.
Aerial photo of archaeologists working near the impluvium of an ancient Roman villa discovered in Castell di Guido, near Rome.
Aerial photo of archaeologists excavating an ancient Roman villa discovered in Castell di Guido, near Rome.
Aerial photograph of the newly discovered ancient Roman villa at Castell di Guido, near Rome.
A view of the impluvium (rainwater basin) discovered in an ancient Roman villa west of Rome.
Archaeologists found a broken statue of the Roman god Silvanus in the villa.
The central impluvium of the atrium – a marble basin in the center of many ancient Roman houses that collected rainwater from an opening in the roof – was surrounded by a floor decorated with bands of black and white vegetal and geometric mosaics. The rear wall of the room, about 5 feet (1.5 m) of which is still preserved, was painted red as part of a fresco consisting of multicolored panels with human figures and botanical elements.
Get the world’s hottest discoveries delivered straight to your inbox.
There were four smaller rooms around the larger room, three of which still have mosaic floors preserved. One room consists of nine black and white geometric panels, another consists of black octagons on a white background, and the third consists of black rectangles.
Within the central basin of the villa, archaeologists found a broken figurine about 31 inches (80 cm) high, depicting a bearded man wearing a short tunic and carrying a basket with birds and fruits. The statue may represent Silvanus, the Roman god of forests and other wastelands, who watched over tamed herds of animals. Sylvanus was also the companion of Bacchus (known as Dionysus in Greek). god of wine and ecstasy.
Archaeologists discovered a statue of Silvanus, the ancient Roman god, protector of herds.
(Image credit: Italian Ministry of Culture/Special Superintendence of Rome)
According to the statement, the scale of the villa and the quality of the mosaics and frescoes suggest that the owners of the villa were Roman aristocrats and may have also been members of the imperial family. In roman empireNoble families such as the Aureli and the Aeri – the paternal and maternal families of Antoninus Pius, who ruled from 138 to 161 AD – lived in Loreum. Ancient sources show that Antoninus Pius spent his childhood in Loreum, built his imperial palace there, and died at the age of 74.
Loreum was also frequented by the emperors Hadrian, who adopted Antoninus Pius as his successor, and Marcus Aurelius, who was Antoninus Pius’s nephew, adopted son, and son-in-law. Due to Lorium’s strong association with the Antonine royal dynasty, many villas and ancient properties have previously been discovered in the area.
But the newly uncovered villa is “another important piece of the puzzle,” Contino said, “opening up new perspectives for understanding and preserving our history-rich region.”
According to the statement, further work on the villa and its artefacts will help archaeologists to more accurately date the building and determine whether it was abandoned when the royal household was moved out of Loreum.
Although work on the villa is not complete, the public has the chance to see the newly excavated villa and its mosaics through a free archaeological walking and guided tour organized by the Special Superintendent of Rome on June 20.
From Augustus to Nero, see with us how much you know about the famous leaders of ancient Rome Roman Emperor Quiz!