Varignano Roman Villa is an ancient Roman residence in Varignano, now a frazione of the town of Porto Venere. Its site is marked by an archaeological museum.
Its first construction phase dates to the 1st century BCE and it mainly consisted of a house surrounded by a farm linked to olive oil production. The site is beside the Seno del Varignano Vecchio, overlooking the sea, near the santuario delle Grazie and, to the north-east, the Fortezza del Varignano.
Its main area - the pars urbana - and the productive area - the pars fructuaria - were separated by a courtyard used for 'torcularium' or pressing olives for their oil. The owner's residence was single-storey with atria paved with mosaics, living rooms and bedrooms. Its olive oil processing area contained two presses and a 'cella oleario' were active until the 1st century AD. At that period olive oil production shut down and the vilicus underwent a major rebuild, with the construction of a set of heated rooms and private frigidaria, whose cistern is considered as almost unique among similar buildings in northern Italy. This residence was then active until the 6th century.
References:Trenčín Castle is relatively large renovated castle, towering on a steep limestone cliff directly above the city of Trenčín. It is a dominant feature not only of Trenčín, but also of the entire Považie region. The castle is a national monument.
History of the castle cliff dates back to the Roman Empire, what is proved by the inscription on the castle cliff proclaiming the victory of Roman legion against Germans in the year 179.
Today’s castle was probably built on the hill-fort. The first proven building on the hill was the Great Moravian rotunda from the 9th century and later there was a stone residential tower, which served to protect the Kingdom of Hungary and the western border. In the late 13th century the castle became a property of Palatine Matúš Csák, who became Mr. of Váh and Tatras.
Matúš Csák of Trenčín built a tower, still known as Matthew’s, which is a dominant determinant of the whole building.