Río Verde Roman Villa, Marbella, Spain

The ancient site at Rio Verde was once part of the great Roman city of Cilniana. It now houses the remains of a late 1st century AD Roman villa. Sadly all that is left is the floor and a small portion of the walls of the villa. However, fortunately for us it is a floor unlike any other - embellished with black and white mosaic tiles in patterns never before seen in a Roman Villa, and intricately encased by a border of the same unusual black and white stones. These mosaics could pass for a monument in their own right, and are certainly worth a visit.

The columns that would once have held the structure together have been removed, probably to form part of another grand structure in the surrounding area. However, the mosaics are completely unique and are famous for their unusual design. Where traditional mosaics would present classical themes and intricate designs, the villa at Rio Verde displays a bizarre collection of images in black and white: shoes, kitchen utensils and tables filled with food. They are incredibly well preserved. Objects found at the site during the archaeological excavation have been moved to the Malaga Museum.

References:

andalucia.com

User Reviews

chris tian (4 years ago)
Even the Romans had villas here....maybe not so many ;)

Anne Bruce (4 years ago)
Informative about Roman customs.Ancient mosaics

Chris (4 years ago)
Interesting Roman remains of a villa set under a purpose built protective cover. Big surprise to find this fascinating history in the centre of Marbella's "Golden Mile".

Pauline (4 years ago)
Lovely Roman villa remains and fantastic mosaic tiles. Only open Friday, Saturday and Sunday 10.30 - 13.30, but free admission and well worth a visit.

Jesus Pascual (5 years ago)
Unique mosaics in what was possibly one of the first guest houses near a Roman town. Free to visit. Local archaeologists are sometimes present to explain the site in Spanish. Takes 1/2 hr to an hour to visit.

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