Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Villa Romana del Casale
The Unesco-listed
Villa Romana del Casale
( 093 568 00 36;
www.villaromanadelcasale.it
; adult/reduced
€10/5; 9am-6pm summer, to 4pm winter)
is central Sicily's biggest attraction, and it reopened in
spring 2013 after years of reconstruction. It is decorated with the finest Roman floor mo-
saics in existence. The mosaics cover almost the entire floor of the villa and are con-
sidered unique for their natural, narrative style, the range of their subject matter and vari-
ety of colour.
Situated in a wooded valley 5km southwest of the town centre, the villa, sumptuous
even by decadent Roman standards, is thought to have been the country retreat of Marcus
Aurelius Maximianus, Rome's co-emperor during the reign of Diocletian ( AD 286- 305).
Certainly, the size of the complex - four interconnected groups of buildings spread over
the hillside - and the 3535 sq metres of multicoloured floor mosaics suggests a palace of
imperial standing.
Following a landslide in the 12th century, the villa lay under 10m of mud for some 700
years, and was thus protected from the damaging effects of air, wind and rain. It was only
when serious excavation work began in the 1950s that the mosaics were brought back to
light.
The recent restoration covered almost the entire complex with a wooden roof, to protect
the mosaics from the elements. There is an elevated walkway that allows visitors to view
the mosaics and the structure in its entirety. Architects report a dissatisfaction with the
structure for the lack of light, and the shadows that obscure the colours and vivacity of the
mosaics, but the condition of the mosaics has been much improved. The challenge of fur-
ther deterioration of the entire villa remains to be battled, but it's a pleasure to be able to
enjoy this marvellous site once again.
If you want to arrange a guide, contact the
Comune di Piazza Armerina
( 093 598 22 46)
or
STS Servizi Turistici
( 093 568 70 27;
www.guardalasicilia.it
; Via Scarpello 2-4)
; otherwise you can or-
ganise one directly at the site.
