Depicted In Mosiac

Visual Representation of Villa de Casale
From romeacrosseurope.com

If you need a reason to visit Sicily than the Villa Romana del Casale is it! The Villa Romana del Casale is the ruin of an Imperial Roman villa, with the richest, largest and most complex collection of late Roman mosaics in the world. A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1997, the mosaics date to around 350 AD. The currently excavated area accounts for part of the villa complex; covering approximately 4,000 square metres of rooms decorated with the world’s most comprehensive and exquisite set of Roman mosaics. The ancillary structures, housing for the slaves, workshops, stables etc, have yet to be located. The size of the villa and the amount and quality of its artwork indicate that it was the center of a latifundium, essentially a large agricultural estate.

Floor mosaic from the Peristyle
(Public Area - light Blue on Villa Layout)

The villa was thought to have been built around the early 4th century AD on the remains of an older villa. Who it belonged to is still a matter of debate; some theories postulated that the villa was the property of a high-level Roman senatorial aristocracy, perhaps a Roman governor, i.e. the country retreat of Marcus Aurelius Maximianus, Rome's co-emperor during the reign of Diocletian (AD 286–305). In reality, we don't know who commissioned the villa and we probably won't unless some unambiguous evidence of who commissioned the villa is found in the future.

Villa Romana del Casales Courtyard 

(Public Area - light Blue on Villa Layout)

The villa was built on the slopes of Mount Mangone and rests on a series of terraces, consisting of several areas including the public baths, public areas, servants rooms, guest rooms and the private family rooms as illustrated in the attached diagram. Most of the rooms in the villa have clear purposes, which can be determined from their position in the complex and from the decorative elements in the room. There is no doubt about the purpose of the thermal baths, the various latrines, and of the areas that were definitely intended for the public. Irregardless of the rooms intent; most of the mosaics are of such exceptional quality, it is hard to believe they are approximately seventeen centuries old. The site was abandoned in the 12th century when a massive landslide buried the entire villa under approximately 10 m (30 feet) of mud thereby protected it from the destructive elements as well as looters for almost 700 years.

Villa Layout

Layout of Villa del Casale ( as seen on my visit in 2014)

Mosaics 

The mosaics are the prime reason for the fame of the Villa Romana del Casale and were probably produced by North African artisans as the North African provinces were in the economic and artistic forefront in the 4th century with polychrome mosaics one of the specialities of the North African artists. The mosaics deal with a variety of subjects, ranging from Homeric escapades and mythological scenes to portrayals of daily life, including the famous depiction of girls exercising in their “bikinis”. The mosaics of the Corridor of the Great Hunt are the star of this show; in a show which has many stars. The Villa mosaics essentially depict all the pleasures and events of everyday Roman life in a manner that is subtle yet markedly intimate and sensual as well. The panels are laid facing the entrance to each room, allowing visitors to view them from the best angle as they enter the room. The columns and walls of the villa had been decorated with painted plaster, both inside and out, and some remnants has survived. 

Please note most of the mosaics are viewed from catwalks above the rooms. The pictures can be taken from some interesting angles. Lighting is inconsistent including natural that enters via narrow openings. Dust has collected on many of the mosaics. These challenges combined with the various lighting types means that the image quality can be inconsistent. Regardless, there really is no better way to describe the Villa del Casale except by visual presentation, with photographs and video showing that Roman life can indeed by Depicted in Mosaic. Better yet, just put it on your bucket list and visit.

Driving to Villa Romana del Casales from Stazzo was easy and we did not use the GPS.  Signage was good and easy to follow unlike lots of our visit. For a good laugh read:  Driving in Sicily

Videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9uaLB9Q6VM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krdR-p1dJW8

Photographs

Public Rooms

Aedicule of Venus

The mosaic decorating the floor of the Aedicule of Venus are geometric, consisting of squares and lozenges with floral motifs.

Aedicule of Venus
Entrance and passage room leading to the westward to the great latrine
(Public area - light blue on Villa Layout)

Tablinum  (Vestibule of Adventus)

The tablinum (Vestibule of Adventus) is the entrance to peristyle and the main parts of the Villa Romana del Casale.  It is located between the courtyard and the peristyle. The mosaic in the room is primarily geometric with an emblem in the center depicting a symbolic welcome. Unfortunately  a significant portion of the emblem are missing.  It was possibly a depiction of a welcoming gathering for guests or the returning owner. 

Vestibule of Adventus (tablinum)
(Public area - light blue on Villa Layout)

The Quadrangular Peristyle

The peristyle is the central part of the Villa Romana del Casale from which one can access most rooms or sections within the villa.  The mosaics consist of bands of squares containing a circular garland of laurel.  Within the garlands are heads of different animals with small birds and leaves of ivy inserted into the corners of the squares.

The Peristyle
(Public area - light blue on Villa Layout)

Lararium or Sacellum Larum

The lararium (Sacellum of the Lares or Sacellum Larum), a small shrine for the house gods (Lares), has a small apse that was flanked by two columns. The remains of the altar can be seen in the bottom of the apse.

Sacellum Larum (Lararium)
(Noted as Sacellum of the Lares on the light blue section on villa layout in the Peristyle)

The Corridor of the Great Hunt

The Corridor of the Great Hunt is a long corridor in the Villa Romana del Casale, depicting the capture and transport of live animals for the circus in Rome. The corridor separates the public spaces and the guest rooms, from the Great Basilica and the owner's private residence. The corridor has apses on both ends with entry via three stairways of approximately 2 m (6 ft) to the private apartments. 

In my opinion these mosaics are the best the villa offers.  The following link provides great detail of the mosaics in the corridor of the hunt as well as most rooms within the villa:

https://sights.seindal.dk/italy/sicily/piazza-armerina/villa-romana-del-casale/corridor-of-the-great-hunt/  

The Corridor of the Great Hunt
(Public area - light blue on Villa Layout)

The Corridor of the Great Hunt
(Public area - light blue on Villa Layout)

The Corridor of the Great Hunt
(Public area - light blue on Villa Layout)

The Corridor of the Great Hunt
(Public area - light blue on Villa Layout)

The Corridor of the Great Hunt
(Public area - light blue on Villa Layout)

The Corridor of the Great Hunt
(Public area - light blue on Villa Layout)

The Corridor of the Great Hunt
(Public area - light blue on Villa Layout)

The Corridor of the Great Hunt
(Public area - light blue on Villa Layout)

   

Basilica 

The basilica (essentially a public or audience hall) was the most formal room in the villa, decorated with fine marble inlay of circles within squares, in a technique known as opus sectile.  The wall was covered with marble slabs possible with mosaics on the upper portions.  Alas, the basilica is badly deteriorated compared to other rooms at the villa.  

Basilica
(Public area - light blue on Villa Layout)

Basilica
(Public area - light blue on Villa Layout)

Private Rooms North of Basilica

Vestibule of Polyphemus

This mosaic is a motif based on the Odyssey where Ulysses and his men are trapped in the cave of the cyclops Polyphemus. Ulysses tricks Polyphemus into drinking strong wine so he falls asleep; at which time Ulysses and his men blind Polyphemus with a wooden pole. Though blinded Polyphemus tries to keep Ulysses imprisoned by blocking the exit with a huge boulder, but the men escape by tying themselves under the oversize sheep of Polyphemus, which he lets out in the morning.

Vestibule of Polyphemus
(Private family areas - medium green on Villa Layout)

Cubicle of  Fruit

The Cubicle of Fruit is a cubiculum, bedroom, located behind the Vestibule of Polyphemus along the north edge of the Basilica. The front room has a geometric mosaic of start with laurel garland containing an an image of fruit.  While the fruit mosaic is well preserved, little remains of the threshold and alcove mosaics (top portion of photograph).

Cubicle of Fruit
(Private family areas - medium green on Villa Layout)

Cubicle of the Erotic Scene

The Cubicle with Erotic Mosaic is a bedroom located north of the Vestibule of Polyphemus. The mosaic in the front part of the room is geometric, with a twelve-sided irregular polygon with a laurel garland. Inside the irregular polygon are two persons, an man and a woman, kissing and embracing. She has her back to the viewer and is half undressed while he holds something in his left hand.  This is mosaic is one of the most recognizable mosaics of Villa Romana del Casale.

The alcove has a much simpler mosaic with overlapping circles forming a pattern of four leave flowers and would have likely been covered by the bed.  The wall frescoes are preserved up to a height of about 1m (3ft). The frescoes depicted partial human figures; a dancing woman wearing a long dress of a light fabric and a dancing satyr, his tail clearly visible.

Cubicle of Erotica Scene
(Private family areas - medium green on Villa Layout; 
Room north of the Vestibule of Polyphemus; likely alcove to master bedroom)

Cubicle of Erotica Scene
(Private family areas - medium green on Villa Layout); 
(Room north of the Vestibule of Polyphemus; likely master bedroom)

 

Rooms North of the Peristyle

Service Rooms   

The service rooms are four rooms located in the northern part of the villa, North of the peristyle and East of the entrance to the thermal baths. These rooms are assumed to be offices or work rooms for the slaves and maybe part of the kitchen complex.  The mosaics in these rooms are various geometric styles.

Service Rooms
 (Servant rooms - light green on Villa Layout)

Service Rooms
 (Servant rooms - light green on Villa Layout)

Service Rooms
(Servant rooms - light green on Villa Layout)

Room of the Dance

The Room of the Dance is a guest room likely intended for the guests of the owner of the villa. It is a high status room, due to the use of figurative mosaics. The mosaic is very damaged, but from what remains it could be a depiction of the Rape of the Sabine Women.

Guest Room (Possibly Rape of the Sabine women) with dust bunnies 
(Guest Rooms - pink on Villa Layout)

More of Guest Room (Possibly Rape of the Sabine women)
(Guest Rooms - pink on Villa Layout)

Room of the Four Seasons

The Room of the Seasons is the antechamber of the cubiculum (Room of the Fishing Cupids). The mosaic is well preserved, with only minor damage is geometric containing allegories of the four seasons with others contain images of fish and birds.

Room of the Seasons
(Guest Rooms - pink on Villa Layout)

Room of the fishing cupids

The Room of the Fishing Cupids is a bedroom, intended for the guests of the owner of the villa. The very elaborate mosaics makes it a high status environment. The mosaic depicts cupids fishing from boats. There are four boats with three cupids each, employing an array of fishing techniques, such as the net, the trident, the fishing rod and the trap. The mosaic is generally well preserved except for some parts in the centre.

Room of the Fishing Cupids
(Guest Rooms - pink on Villa Layout)

Room of the Fishing Cupids
(Guest Rooms - pink on Villa Layout)

Diaeta of the Little Hunt

The Room of the Little Hunt is a room whose purpose is unclear. Is it possible that this room functions as a dining-room, triclinium, for the guests staying in the guest rooms. In our terms is part of a guest suite. The mosaic in this room is a complicated design, consisting of four rows, each split into two, three or five scenes.

Diaeta of the Little Hunt
(Public area - light blue on Villa Layout)

Diaeta of the Little Hunt
(Public area - light blue on Villa Layout)

Guest room with geometric mosaics

The rooms located between the Diaeta of the Little Hunt and The corridor of the Big hunt are probably a cubicle with antechamber.  The simple and probably cheap, mosaics hint at a low-status purpose.

Guest room with geometric mosaics
(Servant rooms - light green on Villa Layout)

Public Baths (Thermae) and Related Rooms

At the time of our visit, access was limited to the pubic bath areas.  Photos are provided for areas which we were able to access or see.  We did not tour the outside due to time constraints. 

Entrance to the Baths

The mosaic in private entrance to the public baths depicts in the center a the representation of the "domina", the wife of the master of the villa. She is accompanied by two children with two servants carrying a box with spare clothes and bath implements.

Private Entrance to the Thermae or also know as Vestibule of the Domina
(Private family areas - medium green on Villa Layout)

Private Lavatory

The private lavatory inside of the Villa served the persons who were granted access to the peristyle and the family.  The floor is covered by a well preserved mosaic showing five animals. 

Family Lavatory
(Private family areas - medium green on Villa Layout)

The palestra

The palestra, or the gym which is a biapsidal hall that was probably used for physical exercise before or after the hot baths. The mosaics depict the horse races in the Circus Maximus in Rome and maybe one of the best contemporary depictions in the world of the Circus Maximus and the races held there. The mosaics are well preserved though there are some missing sections.

Palaestra of the Baths; Biapsidal Hall
(Public Baths - purple section on Villa Layout)
Note the dust bunnies on the mosaics.

Palaestra of the Baths (Biapsidal Hall)
Mosaic with chariot races in the Circus Maximus of Rome
(Public Baths - purple section on Villa Layout)

Areas South of Basilica and North of The Big Hunt. 

Vestibule of Eros and Pan

The room is the antechamber to the Cubicle of Children Hunting. with the mosaic shows a wrestling fight between Pan and Eros. Pan to the left is bearded with a goat’s horns and legs, Eros to the right is a winged boy. Between them is a palm leaf, the symbol of victory.  The overall significance of the mosaic is subjective but it can be interpreted as a fight between profane love, represented by Pan, and the sacred love, represented by Eros, or between the rational element (Eros) and the natural, savage element (Pan).

Vestibule of Eros and Pan
(Private family areas - medium green on Villa Layout)

Cubicle of the Child Hunters

The Cubicle of Children Hunting is a part of the larger private apartment with the mosaic in the central part of the "bedroom" showing scenes of children hunting.  These hunting scenes has a certain affinity with the hunting scenes found the in Room of the Little Hunt. Many of the details and motifs are the same, only they have been moved from an adult context to the world of children. In the alcove the motif depicts scenes of flower gathering and weaving wreath of flowers.  There are fragments of wall paintings in the room. This room was probably the cubiculum of the domina, the lady of the house.

Cubicle of the Child Hunters
(Private family areas - medium green on Villa Layout)

Atrium of the Fishing Cupids

The Atrium of the Fishing Cupids is semicircular, with a four column portico. It is the first room of the larger private apartment of the villa. The well preserved mosaics resembles the mosaic in the Room of the Fishing Cupids. 

Atrium of the Fishing Cupids
(Private family areas - medium green on Villa Layout)

Atrium of the Fishing Cupids
(Private family areas - medium green on Villa Layout)

Diaeta of Arion

The Diaeta of Arion is room located in the larger private apartment probably being either a living room, dining room or a library. The mosaic in the rectangular part of the room depicts the Greek legend of Arion, a famous poet of Corinth in Greece. He attended a musical competition in Sicily, which he won. On return home from Sicily the sailors plotted to kill Arion and steal his prizes. Arion was given the choice of suicide or being thrown in the sea to perish. Neither prospective appealed to Arion and he asked for permission to sing a last song to delay. He played a song praising Apollo, attracting dolphins that carrying him to safety after he lept into the ocean. He made his way to Corinth, arriving before the sailors and telling his story to the king. Upon the sailors arrival the king understood they lied and sentenced them to death.

The Diaeta of Arion 

(Private family areas - medium green on Villa Layout)

Vestibule of the Small Circus   

The Vestibule of the Small Circus is a room is the antechamber of the Cubicle of the Musicians and Actors. The mosaic depicts a children’s version of the chariot races of the circus. The mosaics are very well preserved with only minor damage.

The Vestibule of the Small Circus
(Private family areas - medium green on Villa Layout)

Cubicle of Musicians and Actors

The Cubicle of Musicians and Actors is a bedroom in the private section of the Villa Romana del Casale, and may have been the owner's sleeping quarters.

 Cubicle of Musicians and Actors
(Private family areas - medium green on Villa Layout)

Antechamber of the "Bikini" Girls room

Between the peristyle and the Room with Girls in Bikini is an antechamber decorated with a geometric mosaic.  The walls have remnants of the original frescoes.

Antechamber leading to room of "bikini" girls.
(Light green on villa layout, in front of room labelled Room of the Palastrini) 

Fresco remnants on Antechamber wall
(Light green on villa layout, in front of room labelled Room of the Palastrini) 

The Room with Girls in Bikinis

The room is named after the mosaic and referred to as the Sala delle Dieci Ragazze (“Room of the Ten Girls”). The room was either a cubiculum (bedroom), or a service room of some kind. There are indications that it's original purpose may have changed after the villa was built

The women depicted in the mosaic wear what looks like a bikini. The bottom consists of a loincloth made of cloth or leather called a subligaculum and was worn by athletes and slaves. The top part was a breastband (mastodeton or apodesmos; the Romans called it a strophium) usually made of linen. Such articles of clothing were worn by women who engaged in sports. The girls in the mosaic are obviously engaged in sports; thus the so called "bikinis” are clearly sportswear.

Below the mosaic with the girls in bikini was another mosaic, thus the mosaic with the girls is a later addition. The reason for this addition/change is unknown. 

The Room with Girls in Bikinis
(Light green on villa layout, room labelled Room of the Palastrini) 

Diaeta of Orpheus

The Hall of Orpheus is a hall or small basilica but the exact use of the room is unknown. Given its  entrance directly off the peristyle the hall probably had a public purpose. Unfortunately, the mosaic is very damaged. 

Hall of Orpheus
(Public area - light blue on Villa Layout)

The Elliptical Peristyle and Triapsidal Triclinium

On the south side of the villa is an elliptical peristyle which leads the spacious dining room (triapsidal triclinium), decorated with mythological scenes depicting the Labours of Hercules.  The triclinium was probably used for banquets and other social events with important guests.  During my visit access was restricted and the pictures taken were from a distance.

Elliptical Peristyle
(Private family areas - medium green on Villa Layout)

Triapsidal Triclinium
(Private family areas - medium green on Villa Layout)

Triapsidal Triclinium
(Private family areas - medium green on Villa Layout)

Triapsidal Triclinium
(Private family areas - medium green on Villa Layout)

The following web sites provide excellent resources for information on Villa Romana del Casales:

https://sights.seindal.dk/italy/sicily/piazza-armerina/villa-romana-del-casale/

http://ancientworld.hansotten.com/sicily/piazza-armerina/

https://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2020/2020.03.17/

https://www.lifeinitaly.com/travel/travel-destinations/villa-romana-del-casale