Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WORTH A TRIP
SICILY'S BEST-PRESERVED ROMAN MOSAICS
Near the town of Piazza Armerina in central Sicily is the stunning 3rd-century Roman
Villa Romana
del Casale
( 093 568 00 36;
www.villaromanadelcasale.it
; adult/reduced €10/5; 9am-6pm
summer, 9am-4pm winter) , a Unesco World Heritage Site and one of the few remaining sites of Ro-
man Sicily. This sumptuous hunting lodge is thought to have belonged to Diocletian's co-emperor
Marcus Aurelius Maximianus. Buried under mud in a 12th-century flood, it remained hidden for 700
years before its magnificent floor mosaics were discovered in the 1950s. Visit out of season or early in
the day to avoid the hordes of tourists.
The mosaics cover almost the entire floor (3500 sq metres) of the villa and are considered unique
for their narrative style, the range of subject matter and variety of colour - many are clearly influenced
by African themes. Along the eastern end of the internal courtyard is the wonderful
Corridor of the
Great Hunt
, vividly depicting chariots, rhinos, cheetahs, lions and the voluptuously beautiful Queen
of Sheba. Across the corridor is a series of apartments, where floor illustrations reproduce scenes from
Homer. But perhaps the most captivating of the mosaics is the so-called
Room of the Ten Girls in
Bikinis
, with depictions of sporty girls in scanty bikinis throwing a discus, using weights and throw-
ing a ball; they would blend in well on a Malibu beach. These most famous of Piazza Armerina's mo-
saics were fully reopened to the public in 2013 after years of painstaking restoration and are among
Sicily's greatest classical treasures.
Travelling by car from Piazza Armerina, follow signs south of town to the SP15, then continue 5km
to reach the villa.
Getting here without a car is more challenging. Buses operated by Interbus (
Click here
) from
Catania (€8.90, 1¾ hours) or
SAIS
( 093 568 01 19;
www.saisautolinee.it
)
from Enna (€3.40, 40
minutes) run to Piazza Armerina; from here catch a local bus (€0.70, 30 minutes, summer only) or a
taxi (€20) the remaining 5km.
