Villa Romana del Casale — I mosaici più belli del mondo romano
Villa Romana del Casale (UNESCO 1997, rif. 830) è la più straordinaria villa romana superstite: 3.500 m² di mosaici pavimentali del IV sec. CE che coprono 40 stanze — tra cui la “Grande Caccia” (60 m), il più lungo mosaico romano mai scoperto, e la sala delle “Ragazze in Bikini” che praticano atletica.
At a glance
Villa Romana del Casale Piazza Armerina Sicilia (37.3800 N 14.3494 E UNESCO WHS 1997 reference 830: the most precisely Piazza Armerina zone Villa Romana del Casale Sicily Italy: the site (the villa was discovered in the 19th century and fully excavated in 1950-1960 CE: it is the best-preserved example of a large Roman country villa of the Late Empire period (3rd-4th century CE): the structure (a complex of 40 rooms spread over 3.5 ha of land; the rooms are interconnected by corridors and peristyle courtyards; the total mosaic area is 3,500 m2 (the largest collection of in-situ Roman mosaics in the world): the dating (the latest scholarly consensus dates the mosaic decoration to approximately 310-360 CE): the owner (the leading hypothesis identifies the owner as the Emperor Maximianus Herculius (286-310 CE), the co-emperor of Diocletian who was known for his extensive hunting expeditions and his connections to North Africa (the mosaics show African animals being captured for the Roman games); alternative hypotheses suggest a wealthy Sicilian landowner or a member of the Anicii family)).
Key facts
- La Grande Caccia (60 m × 5 m) e i mosaici della Villa Romana del Casale: the Grande Caccia (the “Great Hunt” mosaic: 60 m × 5 m: the longest single mosaic panel in the Roman world: it depicts an entire African wildlife-capture operation: the scenes move from left to right (from North Africa on the left to the port city (possibly Carthage or Ostia) on the right where the animals are loaded onto ships for transport to Rome for the amphitheater games): the animals depicted (elephant, rhinoceros, bison, lion, tiger, bear, boar, antelope, ostrich, giraffe, zebra, hippopotamus, wild ass): the hunters (depicted in 4th-century CE clothing: the foremen carry whips and wear cloaks; the ordinary hunters carry nets and long poles): the presiding figure (at the centre of the long panel: a figure in a purple military cloak (the only figure in purple in the entire mosaic) watching the hunt from a raised position: this is the dominant hypothesis for the owner identification); the Sala delle Ragazze in Bikini (the “Bikini Girls”: the Sala delle Ginnaste: 10 young women in 2-piece athletic garments (bandeau tops and briefs) performing athletic exercises: discus, javelin, running (the mosaic was created approximately 1700 years before the modern bikini (1946 CE): the garments depicted are athletic bands worn by Roman women during exercise, not swimwear))
- GPS: 37.3800° N, 14.3494° E (Contrada Casale, Piazza Armerina, Sicilia)
History
Da IV sec. CE alla scoperta moderna (the most precisely Villa Romana del Casale history: the building sequence (the villa was built in 3 phases: Phase 1 (early 4th century CE): the private apartments (the “Quartiere Privato”), the thermal baths; Phase 2 (c.310-320 CE): the main building (the “Corpo Centrale”): the peristyle garden (38 m × 56 m), the triclinium (the main dining room), the “Grande Caccia” corridor; Phase 3 (c.320-360 CE): the elliptical peristyle, the “Sala delle Dieci Ragazze”, the “Cubicolo del Piccolo Circo”)): the burial (the villa was buried by a mudslide c.1160 CE (the Norman period): the collapse of the hill above the villa covered the mosaics with 2-3 m of debris: the debris preserved the mosaics in perfect condition for 800 years): the discovery (1881 CE: the first modern excavations; 1929 CE: systematic excavations by Paolo Orsi; 1950-1960 CE: complete excavation by Gino Vinicio Gentili: 3,500 m2 of mosaics revealed): the Minissi covering (1957-1960 CE: architect Franco Minissi designed the transparent plastic domes and walkways that currently protect and display the mosaics: the design was revolutionary for its time but is now considered problematic (the plastics have yellowed, the humidity under the covers is controlled by modern HVAC systems)): the UNESCO inscription (1997 CE, reference 830).
What you see
Il percorso di visita (2-3h per una visita completa): Bagni (le terme di ingresso: la prima sala della villa, con mosaici marini): Peristilio Grande (38m×56m: il cortile principale: la fontana centrale): Corridoio della Grande Caccia (60m: il cuore della visita; la passerella elevata permette di vedere i mosaici dall’alto): Triclinio (la sala da pranzo imperiale: 3 absidi con mosaici di Ercole e i Labori; il pavimento “a opus sectile” (marmi colorati intarsiati)): Appartamenti Privati (le stanze da letto; il “Cubicolo Eroti Pescatori”; il “Cubicolo della Piccola Caccia” (la caccia in Sicilia: cinghiali, conigli, lepri)): Sala delle Dieci Ragazze (le “ragazze in bikini”; una delle ultime sale della visita): Peristilio Ellittico (l’appartamento di Massimiano(?); i mosaici di Orfeo che incanta gli animali; il mosaico delle stagioni).
Practical information
- Biglietti: €10 intero, €5 ridotto; apertura 9:00–18:00 (inverno), 9:00–20:00 (estate); il biglietto include la visita con audioguida (inclusa; disponibile in 8 lingue)
- Tempo suggerito: 2–3h per una visita completa; le passerelle sono elevate (accessibili; carrozzine ammesse su tutto il percorso)
- Best time: evitare agosto (caldo intenso, 35-40°C; bagni radianti sulle passerelle di plexiglas); preferire maggio-giugno o settembre-ottobre
Getting there
Treno a Enna (la stazione più vicina: 30 km): poi bus o taxi (bus provinciale Catania–Enna–Piazza Armerina: 2h da Catania Fontanarossa CTA): con l’auto da Catania (90 km, 1h20 via A19 autostrada Palermo–Catania).
Nearby
- Piazza Armerina (5 km): il centro storico medievale; il Duomo di Piazza Armerina (1627 CE); il Castello di Lombardia (XII sec. CE)
- Valle dei Templi Agrigento (100 km): i templi dorici del V sec. a.C.; Tempio della Concordia (440–430 a.C.); UNESCO WHS 1997
- Siracusa (100 km): il Teatro Greco (V sec. a.C.); l’Orecchio di Dionisio; Ortigia UNESCO WHS 2005
Gallery
Sources
- UNESCO World Heritage List: “Villa Romana del Casale”, rif. 830 (whc.unesco.org/en/list/830)
- Gentili, Gino Vinicio: “La Villa Romana di Piazza Armerina”, Istituto Poligrafico dello Stato, Roma 1959
- Wilson, Roger J.A.: “Piazza Armerina”, University of Texas Press, Austin 1983
- Carandini, Andrea; “Filosofiana: The Villa of Piazza Armerina”, Flaccovio, Palermo 1982
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