Villa Romana in Minori

The history of Villa Romana in Minori

The seaside villa, dating to Julio-Claudian period for the frescoes, was highlighted in the fifties. We do not know who built the ancient Roman Villa in Minori in the first century AD, or those who have inhabited it, but it sure was a person of considerable financial possibilities and of a high cultural level, as well as of great taste, given the choice of the design. Today, 2,000 years have passed since a refined Roman citizen, probably a senator, who chose the deep bay with the River Rheginna Minor to build this large seaside villa. Originally around the villa there were mountains, covered with forests and populated by wild animals, down to the sea, a place where nature spoke the language of the mystery.

The Architecture of seaside Villa in Minori

Built at sea level, the villa, in its lower floor contains among the wings of a porch a viridarium, at its center there is a spa, in line with the great, monumental opening to seaside and the environment more important of the floor is the large nymphaeum triclinium whose sides symmetrically develops the entire ground floor. Built in the early first century AD, as evidenced by the 111 decorations of the rooms, the villa during his life had several renovations and alterations. The arcs of the villa weren't bare and monotonous, and even today the ancient stones, if you look carefully, they reveal the Roman period colors: from red to yellow and the blue walls, to black hooves of the pillars where there were flowerbeds. Annexed to the remains of the Villa there is also the Antiquarium and in its rooms, it preserves the materials from the excavation. In the first room you can see some items on the daily life of the ancient Romans, and some panels with frescos of the III style and the reconstruction of the pool with suspensurae that was found in the steam bath of the villa.

The Villa Romana today

The discovery of the villa occurred during some works of river deviation Rheginna Minor, following the terrible floods of 1954. Today all that remains of the ancient Roman villa is located in the city center of Minori, developed around and within the building structures from Roman times reused as warehouses, cellars and stables known as caves like many ancient buildings.