Desenzano Roman Villa

Desenzano del Garda, Italy

The Roman Villa of Desenzano del Garda, with rich mosaics, is one of the residential buildings of the best preserved late Roman age of Northern Italy. A group of rooms with heating systems to cavity is from the first half of the 1st century AD, which probably belongs to the General system of the complex. In the first half of the 4th century, the mansion underwent a complete and organic reconstruction led to the creation of a wing used for representation, another mainly residential and a third character.

Archeological excavations reveal that the villa was destroyed by fire. The villa still retains the charm of the original glitz and one can still admire the remains of mosaics, walls and foundations. At the entrance of the villa stands a small museum where you can see the finds recovered from the excavations. These include the remains of the statues and portraits are very interesting and a mill for the pressing of grapes or olives. Inside the Museum a cockpit also allows you to see a hypocaust, a hypocaust that was part of a series of rooms with brick pillars on which rested the floor likely Augustan era.

The Roman Villa of Desenzano is divided into three sectors. In the field to include an octagonal vestibule from which you came to the beach and the Marina, the peristyle, a courtyard surrounded on all sides by porticos and adorned with statues, an atrium to forceps for came to the room triclinium with three aspes and representation. The triclinium was covered by a dome roof or barrel vaulted. The local and the peristyle were paved with mosaics showing geometric patterns and vegetal motifs which created colour effects. Probably in the Central apse of the triclinium there was a window from which you could see the viridarium, enclosed garden at the back by a fountain with niches. After a series of small rooms used in services there was the entrance to the villa from which there was the road separating the sector to sector b. In this sector, which underwent numerous transformations in Roman times, there are various clubs and residential environments have geometric mosaics supposedly dating to the late 3rd century or early 4th century after Christ.

References:

Comments

Your name



Details

Founded: 0-300 AD
Category: Prehistoric and archaeological sites in Italy

Rating

4.3/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Geoff M (2 months ago)
Incredible excavations dating back to 4ad! The mosaics are particularly of interest especially where you can see new floors laid over previously beautiful floors
Konrad (3 months ago)
A small but very interesting archeological site
ian henden (3 months ago)
Reasonably priced entrance onlya few euros, each. You can download an app that helps explain each section marked out on the route. The downloaded audio file contains 1 for the app.then another for the 2 remaining files that take 8 minutes, but without it, you are left reading the textboards. Well worth a visit, but go when it is cooler, although covered up, it is still very hot and take plenty of cold water. Seats are available in the shade for resting
Calin Olaru (6 months ago)
Quick service, rice, pasta and very delicious pizza. Very tasty sparkling wine.
Patrice Kerremans (15 months ago)
For a small ticket price you get to see the remains of a Villa Romana. The audio guide can be downloaded from the app/play stores for free. Thanks to the guide you’ll really imagine better how beautiful the villa must have been. For instance, there used to be a large swimming pool with a view on Lake Garda. An ancient infinity pool! Some mosaics have been well preserved. You’ll find better preserved villas in (for instance) Sicily, but the combination of the mosaics, the explanation of the audio guide make visiting it worthwhile.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Celje Castle

Celje Castle was once the largest fortification on Slovenian territory. The first fortified building on the site (a Romanesque palace) was built in the first half of the 13th century by the Counts of Heunburg from Carinthia on the stony outcrop on the western side of the ridge where the castle stands. It had five sides, or four plus the southern side, which was a natural defence. The first written records of the castle date back to between 1125 and 1137; it was probably built by Count Gunter. In the western section of the castle, there was a building with several floors. Remains of the walls of this palatium have survived. In the eastern section, there was an enclosed courtyard with large water reservoirs. The eastern wall, which protects the castle from its most exposed side, was around three metres thicker than the rest of the curtain wall. The wall was topped with a parapet and protected walkway.