Piazza Armerina, Villa Romana del Casale

Villa Romana del Casale

Mosaics

This fine villa, built either by Maxentius, Roman emperor 306-312 CE, or perhaps his son, is featured in an Ancient Life article in Archeology Odyssey magazine from some time ago, Premier Issue 1998 at page 72, see http://www.bib-arch.org/archaeology-odyssey.asp.  The pity is the restriction to access archives -- how many of us are not about to join something else just for a look, and instead trust to the serendipitous finding of an issue or two.  Another article is in March/April 2003 at pp.28 ff -- beautiful illustrations of these mosaics, "the most extensive collection of mosaics to have survived the destruction of the empire."  Featured in the article, entitled Ferocious Elegance:  The Cyclops, floor of the Vestibule of polyphemus, the "bikini girls" as shown here, a photograph of the villa itself, and the Room of the Small Hunt, and Corridor of the Great Hunt. These are realistic action depictions, not merely fluff to entertain. Need access to archives, magazine people.

The information includes:  area of mosaics?  38,000 square feet.  Since the stones come from North Africa, it looks like skilled North African craftsmen were involved.  Names of the rooms include the frigidaria, the cold baths.  It is there that the bikini girls mosaic is found, in two rows.  There is a handball game or exercise going on, and also the giving of prizes.

Since the other mosaics show daily life, such as the more familiar hunting scenes, dining, massages after the meal ("post-prandial" -- before the meal would be preprandial -- either way, nice idea), the women being athletic shows their regular fitness and competitions.

Roman Villa, near Piazza Armerina, Sicily

The kind of Roman latrine shown at Romana del Casale is common for Romans, see Archeology Odyssey May-June 2004 at p.53, article, Roman Latrines, How the Ancients Did Their Business, by Ann Olda Koloski-Ostro, illustrating facing lines of boards with holes and openways, a water channel at the sitter's feet for dunking the sponge on the stick used for cleanliness. And windows for good ventilation. A stone bowl, deep, holds all the sticked sponges, handles up, for repeated use.  This arrangement is also apparently at Ephesus, more multi-seating facilities.  Yet writings of the time reflect a coarser approach, dumping the equivalent of chamber pots out on the street, so more is to be learned.

Piazza Armerina, Roman Villa, Villa Romana del Casale

Bikini girls mosaic, Roman Villa, Sicily - Villa Romana del Casale

Villa Romana del Casale. This is a Roman villa, so far off the usual track, that it is well preserved. The mosaic wall here depicts athletic girls (informally known as the "bikini girls" there).

The Villa is about 3 miles southwest of Piazza Armerina, in the interior. See http://www.sights.seindal.dk/sight/456_Villa_Romana_del_Casale.
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See a videeo at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bc9t-MhVd30
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This area is thought to be the large estate - public and private halls and facilities - that belonged to Diocletian's co-emperor, Maximianus Herculeus in late 3d and early 4th centuries AD.  For overview, see the mosaic and site photos at http://www.galenfrysinger.com/geometric_mosaics_sicily; and at www.bluffton.edu/%7Esullivanm/armerina/armerina.  Fine floor and wall mosaics survive.  The sanitary conditions were unexpectedly functional. A water course had been diverted to serve the W.C.   There is a rather large communal seating area in 3 sides of a square with a rectangular slot (unisex) so gravity would work, with running water below and out. Excellent. Servant-slaves were nearby with sticks on which cotton or other batting material did the job, we were told.

Rome:  a remarkably intact Roman villa of similar wealth and size has been found at the Domus Valeriorum, a grand home in Rome. It was uncovered during excavation for construction at the Addolorata Hospital, with ancient frescoes, mosaics , niches, and designs very lavish, and looking very much like this Romana del Casale.  See http://www.archaeology.org/0605/abstracts/villa.html.
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The mosaic room in our photo is known as the Bikini Girls. 
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Rome's architecture is widespread of course outside Rome, but always comes as a magnificent surprise. For the retirement palace of the Roman Emperor Diocletian himself, see Croatia Roadways, Split post. Diocletian was from the Dalmatian Coast, Croatia.
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