These Sunken Ruins Were The Go-To-Place For Roman Aristocrats To Sip Wine And Take In The Views
The go-to place for Roman aristocrats to sip on wine and take in the spectacular views of the vast Mediterranean Sea was the pavilion of a villa.
Over the years, the structure gradually collapsed into the waves. Now, the submerged circular ruins were detected on the coastline of Italy’s Campo di Mare in Cerveteri, which is not too far from the capital city of Rome.
In 2021, researchers encountered a marble column. As further explorations were made, they found that the column was attached to a circular structure that was entirely submerged.
The structure consists of two thick walls positioned roughly 10 feet away from each other. The walls were built with a double layer of mortar and triangular bricks. They were connected to a clay base that provided a sturdy foundation.
The pavilion had a diameter of about 164 feet and what is known as “opus spicatum” flooring, which translates to “spiked work.”
It is a type of decorative masonry construction made from cut stones, tiles, or bricks laid in a herringbone pattern that was commonly used in Roman and medieval times for paving purposes.
Among the ruins, there were also traces of “opus signinum,” a form of Roman concrete that was created with a mixture of lime, sand, and small bits of broken pottery from tiles, brick, or amphorae. It was used to waterproof aqueducts, baths, and cisterns.
The branch office of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape for the province of Viterbo and southern Etruria, collaborated with a private company named CSR Cultural Property Restoration to restore the ruins.
The government branch referred to the ruins as an “extremely elegant” pavilion that was once attached to a luxurious villa.
Aleh Varanishcha – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
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The materials that were used to construct the pavilion indicate that the villa was most likely owned by a rich Roman aristocrat. It also points to the advanced construction practices of the time period.
Back in the days of the Roman Empire, the house was located along Via Aurelia, a major highway that led to the capital, and was constructed in approximately 241 B.C.
The ruins are still buried in the sand and have not yet been fully excavated. This discovery is part of a three-year-long project aimed at recovering remnants of ancient Roman architecture that have been lost to the sea.
Constant waves and coastal erosion have made it challenging for researchers to document the site, but they were still able to do so successfully.
After the restoration project is finished, experts hope to carry out geophysical surveying of the site. This technique is non-invasive and can uncover more remains that aren’t visible without destroying the site.
If more findings are produced, it will help build a stronger case for the official protection and preservation of the site.
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