Villa of the Bath

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Location

Sublocation

Garden

Villa of the Bath

Keywords

Garden Description

Remains discovered in 1888 revealed a large semicircular garden (Fig. 1: c) enclosed by a portico (b), into which opened a series of rooms (d to p). A corridor (a) connected this garden to a bath quarter that boasted a nymphaeum (t) and a panoramic view onto the sea. A similar semicircular portico and garden was in the villa of Anguillara Sabatia, but the radial disposition of the rooms of the 'Villa della Terma's' pars urbana is unusual, revealing a desire to lend each room a view onto the garden. The preservation of this villa is poor because for centuries it was scavenged for building material. Dated material ranges from the first century B.C. (brick stamps) to the early fifth century A.D. (coins). It is possible that these remains were part of the nearby "Villa della Statua."

Dates

unspecified

Excavation Date

1888

Bibliography

M. De Franceschini, 1998, Le ville romane della X regio: Venetia et Histria. Catalogo e carta archeologica dell'insediamento romano nel territorio, dall'età repubblicana al tardo impero, Roma.(worldcat)

Places

Villa of the Statue (I.iii.23)

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Location

Sublocation

Region X

Garden

Villa of the Statue

Keywords

Garden Description

A villa dating from the first century B.C. to at least the time of Marcus Aurelius was discovered near the modern via Miramare in Barcola. It overlooked the sea to the west and had a portico at the south (Fig. 1: B), with rooms opening onto it. The main nucleus of the villa unfolded around a rectangular garden surrounded by porticoes on all four sides (the long sides measure 24.5 m.; the short ones 15.2; Fig. 1: U). A rectangular brick pool with a black mosaic pavement was in the north-east portion of the garden (Fig. 1: a). It pre-dates the portico, since it was partly destroyed by the paving of the north-east portico. A terminus post quem for the construction of the portico was determined by a coin of Nero, found inside the pool.

During nineteenth century excavations, fragments of two superimposed wall paintings were recovered in Room C. The outer layer is not well enough preserved to identify any subject, but the preserved fragments beneath show branches and leaves with colored backgrounds of light blue, red, yellow and white. It is, therefore, possible that this cycle of painting depicted a garden, echoing the view of the real plantings visible through the doorway.

North of the peristyle was the bath quarter (Fig. 1: G, H, I, M, P), but it is not completely clear how the two parts of the villa were connected. In a partially excavated Tuscan type atrium (G) with an impluvium, several fragments of a marble torso were recovered, possible from a copy of the Polykleitan Doryphoros or Diadumenos. On the west side of the villa facing the sea was a porticoed garden (Z) and large semicircular exedra (24 m in diameter). Under the mosaic floor of this exedra are traces of an earlier room (Fig. 1: a) with a mosaic floor. On axis with the center of the exedra and garden was a triclinium (6.2 x 12 m) with a black-and-white mosaic floor. Another exedra (7.5 x 15 m), with a black-and-white mosaic floor, had large windows looking to the sea, and beside it a staircase leading to the water's edge and to a dock.

Dates

100 B.C.

Excavation Date

19th century

Bibliography

M. De Franceschini, 1998, Le ville romane della X regio: Venetia et Histria. Catalogo e carta archeologica dell'insediamento romano nel territorio, dall'età repubblicana al tardo impero, Roma.(worldcat)

Gardens of the Roman Empire

Villa of the Bath

Location

Sublocation

Garden

Keywords

Garden Description

Dates

Excavation Date

Bibliography

Places

Villa of the Statue (I.iii.23)

Location

Sublocation

Garden

Keywords

Garden Description

Dates

Excavation Date

Bibliography

Places