Roman Villa of Casignana

History

The villa was located in the Roman province of Lucania et Bruttii, specifically in the home of the ancient tribe of the Bruttii. The ancient city of Locri, 15 km away, probably played an important role in the economy and life of the owners. It is very likely that the later owner of the villa was influential and prominent in Locri and in the Roman province.

The oldest villa building dates to the 1st century AD, and nine phases of later modification have been identified. The most grandiose development was between the 3rd and 4th centuries with the addition of a monumental residential area, including the sumptuous apsidal Room I with rich floors and exotic marble veneers. Other modifications included two sets of monumental baths: the Western and the Eastern Baths, and all the rooms of the grander Western Baths were more elegantly arranged with the addition of apses and expensive floor mosaics.

The display of wealth would have impressed a sense of supremacy on guests to convivial and aristocratic banquets and gatherings which the presence of baths and reception rooms also support. By this means the dominus of the villa reinforced his political influence over the territory and its community.

Between the 4th and 5th centuries, perhaps following damage by the earthquake of around 365, the baths had a further phase of restructuring and expansion.

The villa was abandoned in the first half of the 5th century but a small settlement continued there until the 7th century. …

The Villa

The site was split in two by the modern road.

The main buildings were placed around a large central peristyle (courtyard) garden. The residential part (pars urbana) of the villa with a grand facade overlooking the sea is on the eastern side. On the western side of the peristyle (and the modern road) is a richly decorated large private double bath complex.

Further to the northwest was another large garden with a nymphaeum.

The monumental baths are as big as many ancient public baths, but their richness and magnificence of decoration are more consistent with private baths in this location. Their external appearance would also have been impressive as the roofs were vaulted and domed. The two independent bath suites is a feature of other 4th century villas and may have been influenced by Christianity, which banned mixed bathing and promoted modesty among the newly converted.

Other possible parts such as the pars rustica (for servants and other workers) and the pars fructaria (for the processing of products) typical of a Roman villa have not yet been found.

The great monumentalisation of the baths occurred between the 2nd and 3rd centuries, when several large rooms were created some of which have apses. At the same time various rooms received their elegant mosaic flooring.

Portico 17 is on the northern and western sides of the baths giving the Western Baths a monumental entrance from the garden and an exercise area from where the bather would pass into a small corridor then into the frigidarium (room 12), one of the most opulent and elegant rooms of the entire villa. This room has an octagonal plan with four apses and two pools, and measures about 6 x 6 m with walls veneered in exotic marble, some of which is still visible today. The domed or vaulted ceiling was covered in a blue glass mosaic resembling a blue sky enhanced by the sparkling reflection of the water below. The frigidaria are the biggest rooms of the Western and Eastern (Room 9 & 25) baths and played an important part in Roman bathing because they were cool, refreshing spaces and suitable for large groups who could bathe and relax more comfortably here, or conduct business at leisure. …