Villa Romana del Casale – Roman luxury villa in Sicily
Peristyle in Villa Romana del Casale | Autor: Jos Dielis / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic
In Sicily, about 5 km from the city of Piazza Armerina, are the remains of a luxurious Roman villa, Villa Romana del Casale. This place is unusual because many beautiful mosaics have been preserved. The monument has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The building was built in the 3rd-4th century CE and it was a real residence of ancient times. The house consisted of about 50 rooms, thermal baths, gyms, and a large internal courtyard. The house was certainly part of a large lot of money on the island.
The house was either permanently inhabited by the owner or it was a summer house. The building was largely destroyed, probably by the Vandals; then it was still in partial use. In the 12th century, there was a landslide that covered the villa.
According to scientists, a huge amount of floor mosaics with a total area of 3500 m2 has survived to our times.
