Villa delle Vignacce, or the "Villa of the Vineyards", was one of the largest in the southern suburbs of
ancient Rome
In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 B ...
, located on via Lemonia, in the
Parco degli Acquedotti, or Aqueduct Park. Constructed in the 2nd century AD, and showing signs of restoration in the 4th century, it still remains one of Rome’s lesser documented villas, despite the extensive ruins being available in Rome’s largest public park.
Based upon markings and studies of the
brickwork, the construction of the luxurious villa is attributed to
Quintus Servilius Pudens
Quintus Servilius Pudens was a Roman senator active during the second century AD. He was ordinary consul for the year 166 with Lucius Fufidius Pollio as his colleague, and he was proconsular governor of Africa around 180. Pudens is known only thr ...
, an extremely wealthy friend of the emperor
Hadrian
Hadrian (; la, Caesar Trâiānus Hadriānus ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. He was born in Italica (close to modern Santiponce in Spain), a Roman ''municipium'' founded by Italic settlers in Hispania B ...
. Of the remaining structure there is a large circular hall covered with a
dome
A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...
. The villa is one of the most ancient examples of "
amphorae" used to lighten inside areas. In the summer of 2006, excavations were done by the
American Institute for Roman Culture (AIRC), funded by the American Express Foundation. AIRC, with
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
,
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
, and
Italian students and professionals, unearthed the ground floor of the villa below modern street level.
The bath complex, complete with
mosaic
A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...
floors and marble walls, was discovered as well as a perfectly preserved ancient underground heating system. Rare glass paste mosaics from the 2nd century AD that had collapsed onto the ground floor were also found. In the summer of 2007, excavations revealed that the two-story complex covered more than and contained hot rooms, vaults, changing rooms, and marble latrines. The interior of the complex was decorated with statues and water cascades.
/ref> Further excavations of the villa and analyses will continue in the bath complex and other areas of the villa are supposed be unearthed later in the summer of 2007.
See also
* List of Roman domes
This is a list of Roman domes. The Romans were the first builders in the history of architecture to realize the potential of domes for the creation of large and well-defined interior spaces. Domes were introduced in a number of Roman building t ...
* Ancient Roman architecture
Ancient Roman architecture adopted the external language of classical Greek architecture for the purposes of the ancient Romans, but was different from Greek buildings, becoming a new architectural style. The two styles are often considered one ...
References
External links
Appia Antica Park
www.romanculture.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Villa Delle Vignacce
Ancient Roman buildings and structures in Rome
Archaeological sites in Lazio
Houses completed in the 2nd century