Ever wanted to rule an empire? Well now you can, virtually at least. Register with Historvius and you can be the king of the castle, or the emperor of the Colosseum! Sign up now and start uploading comments and photos to historic sites you've visited. You'll get points for your activity and those with the most points on any historic site get to rule. Don't get complacent though, as any ruler knows, there's always someone waiting in the wings to usurp your crown…
Villa Romana del Casale
« back to search results | add to shortlist
user rating
- Name
- Villa Romana del Casale
- Continent
- EUROPE
- Alt Name:
- -
- Country:
- Italy
- Period:
- Ancient Rome
- Sub-Region:
- -
- Date:
- 300AD - 399AD
- City/Town:
- Piazza Armerina
- Figure:
- -
- Resorts:
- Piazza Armerina,
Sicily,
- Related:
- Syracuse Archaeological Site, Necropolis of Pantalica,
Taormina Amphitheatre, Valley of the Temples,
about Villa Romana del Casale
Villa Romana del Casale is a UNESCO-listed Ancient Roman villa in Piazza Armerina in Sicily, containing some of the world’s best preserved Roman mosaics.
Thought to have been built sometime between 310AD and 340AD, Villa Romana del Casale was constructed atop an earlier (probably first century AD) villa which was destroyed by an earthquake in the fourth century.
Extremely luxurious and built on a vast scale (covering a known area of 4,000 square metres), Villa Romana del Casale was probably built for a member of Ancient Rome’s elite. It may even have been built under the orders of Marcus Aurelius Maximinianus (Maximian), co-emperor with Diocletian.
Maximian is certainly believed to have owned Villa Romana del Casale in the fourth century, perhaps even when its first incarnation was destroyed. Upon his death, it would have passed to Maxentius, his son and also a Roman Emperor. Villa Romana del Casale was then inhabited up to the ninth century and finally destroyed – probably during the reign of William I of Sicily – in the twelfth century.
Villa Romana del Casale is truly one of the most lavish of Roman villas. UNESCO even describes it as more of a palace than a villa. Even the first impression, its triumphal arch of an entrance, is impressive.
Whilst much of the structure of the villa - such as that of its thermal baths complex, courtyards, private and public rooms - is in a more ruined state, its glorious mosaics make it very much a site worth seeing, especially for the history enthusiast.
Just as empires rise and fall so do entry fees and opening hours! While we work as hard as we can to ensure the information provided here about Villa Romana del Casale is as accurate as possible, the changing nature of certain elements mean we can't absolutely guarantee that these details won't become a thing of the past. If you know of any information on this page that needs updating you can add a comment above or now.
contact details
Address: Villa Romana del Casale, Route SP90, 94015 Piazza Armerina, Sicily
Phone: 0935 680 036
useful information
Directions:
Villa Romana del Casale is located approx 3km/1.8 miles southwest of the town of Piazza Armerina, central Sicily.
Ticket Information:
Villa Romana del Casale is open daily except Mondays 10am-7pm (call ahead to check).
Entry costs €4.
Links:
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/832
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_Romana_del_Casale
Historvius is not responsible for the content of external sites.
USER COMMENTS
You must register or sign in to post comments.
You must register or sign in to post comments.
No Comments Available.