Benicató Roman Villa in Nules is the first of its kind to be discovered in Plana Baixa. Nestled among the orange groves 700m south-east of El Caminàs, the site was discovered in 1888 during agricultural work in the pujol of Benicató. The villa was established in the 1st century BCE and was in use until 4th century AD.
Benicató Roman Villa is unique in that it was used for agricultural and residential purposes. In the centre, a quadrangular peristyle with a circular pond stands out among the 17 surrounding rooms. Two of these rooms have mosaics with geometric and vegetal patterns, highlighting the importance and sophistication of the villa.
The rural mansion has a porticoed patio with a central pond to collect rainwater. Some of the rooms have stuccoes and mosaics while others were used for domestic life. There are heating systems and wineries.
References:The ancient Argos Theater was built in 320 BC. and is located in Argos, Greece against Larissa Hill. Nearby from this site is Agora, Roman Odeon, and the Baths of Argos. The theater is one of the largest architectural developments in Greece and was renovated in ca 120 AD.
The Hellenistic theater at Argos is cut into the hillside of the Larisa, with 90 steps up a steep incline, forming a narrow rectilinear cavea. Among the largest theaters in Greece, it held about 20,000 spectators and is divided by two landings into three horizontal sections. Staircases further divide the cavea into four cunei, corresponding to the tribes of Argos A high wall was erected to prevent unauthorized access into the theatron and may have helped the acoustics, but it is said the sound quality is still very good today.
Around 120 CE, both theaters were renovated in the Roman style.