Villa di Domiziano
A bridge to the past
Domitian’s villa occupies the beautiful peninsula stretching on lake Paola.
The site, still largely unexcavated, is encompassed within a 46-hectare integral reserve.
The villa of the imperial period partly re-used the structures of a former late-republican villa. It features an imposing front along the lake shore, with a long pier - whose realisation required extensive works - only interrupted by two exedras by the thermal-bathing area. This area consisted of the above mentioned exedras and of a series of adjoining rooms, connected by two corridors; the classic tripartition calidarium-tepidarium-frigidarium characterised the space, which also included a large gymnasium.
The area of the apsed basin is in the northern part of the peninsula, where most of the late-republican villa’s structures are located. There, Domitian’s architects showed their great ability, managing to integrate the monumental structures of the older complex into the new, sumptuous palace.
Finally, the villa’s east-central portion is in a raised position, and is therefore entirely occupied by cisterns, that partially re-use previously existing structures.
Here, on the shores of Lake Paola, you can spend a cool and relaxing summer weekend, and, letting your imagination guide you among the ruins of the imperial villa, you can have a glimpse of how Roman nobles used to spend their summer vacations.
Further information on excavations at the villa are available at “Fasti online”, a valuable online database on excavations in the Mediterranean.
For information on how to access the site, please write at archeoparcocirceo@libero.it
Research:
Coordinator: dott. R.Righi
Scientific manager: prof. A.M.Jaia
Technical manager: dott. D.Ronchi
Villa Domiziano
(photo by PN Circeo)
Domitian's Villa
(photo by Archivio Parco Nazionale del Circeo)
Villa di Domiziano
(photo by Archivio Parco Nazionale del Circeo)
