A latifundium was originally the term used by ancient Romans for great landed estates specialising in agriculture destined for sale: grain, olive oil, or wine. They were characteristic of Magna Graecia and Sicily, Egypt, Northwest Africa and Hispania Baetica. The latifundia were the closest approximation to industrialised agriculture in antiquity, and their economics depended upon slavery.
The province of Enna is a province in the autonomous island region of Sicily, Italy.
Settefinestre is best known for the site of late Republican Roman slave-run villa that was excavated in 1976-81. It lies between Capalbio and Orbetello in Tuscany, Italy.
Piazza Armerina is a comune in the province of Enna of the autonomous island region of Sicily, southern Italy.
Sicilia was the first province acquired by the Roman Republic, encompassing the island of Sicily. The western part of the island was brought under Roman control in 241 BC at the conclusion of the First Punic War with Carthage. A praetor was regularly assigned to the island from c. 227 BC. The Kingdom of Syracuse under Hieron II remained an independent ally of Rome until its defeat in 212 BC during the Second Punic War. Thereafter the province included the whole of the island of Sicily, the island of Malta, and the smaller island groups.
The Villa Romana del Casale is a large and elaborate Roman villa or palace located about 3 km from the town of Piazza Armerina, Sicily. Excavations have revealed Roman mosaics which, according to the Grove Dictionary of Art, are the richest, largest and most varied collection that remains, for which the site was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. The villa and its artwork date to the early 4th century AD.
Gioiosa Ionica is a town and comune in Italy in the province of Reggio Calabria, region of Calabria. It lies near the east coast of Calabria and covers an area of 35 square kilometres (14 sq mi).
Cottanello is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Rieti in the Italian region of Latium, located about 60 kilometres (37 mi) north of Rome and about 15 kilometres (9 mi) west of Rieti.
Realmonte is a comune (municipality) in the Region of Agrigento in the Italian Provence Sicily, located about 90 kilometres (56 mi) south of Palermo and about 10 kilometres (6 mi) west of Agrigento.
Villa Boscoreale is a name given to any of several Roman villas discovered in the district of Boscoreale, Italy. They were all buried and preserved by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, along with Pompeii and Herculaneum. The only one visible in situ today is the Villa Regina, the others being reburied soon after their discovery. Although these villas can be classified as "rustic" rather than of otium due to their agricultural sections and sometimes lack of the most luxurious amenities, they were often embellished with extremely luxurious decorations such as frescoes, testifying to the wealth of the owners. Among the most important finds are the exquisite frescoes from the Villa of Publius Fannius Synistor and the sumptuous Boscoreale Treasure of the Villa della Pisanella, which is now displayed in several major museums.
Orpheus mosaics are found throughout the Roman Empire, normally in large Roman villas. The scene normally shown is Orpheus playing his lyre, and attracting birds and animals of many species to gather around him. Orpheus was a popular subject in classical art, and was also used in Early Christian art as a symbol for Christ.
Gino Vinicio Gentili was an Italian archaeologist.
A Roman mosaic is a mosaic made during the Roman period, throughout the Roman Republic and later Empire. Mosaics were used in a variety of private and public buildings, on both floors and walls, though they competed with cheaper frescos for the latter. They were highly influenced by earlier and contemporary Hellenistic Greek mosaics, and often included famous figures from history and mythology, such as Alexander the Great in the Alexander Mosaic.
The Villa Romana del Tellaro is a large, elaborate Roman villa dating from the late Roman Empire.
The Villa Romana di Patti is a large and elaborate Roman villa located in the comune of Patti in the province of Messina on Sicily.
The archaeological park of Sabucina, located on the mountain of the same name near Caltanissetta, is an archaeological site in Sicily. The area contains settlements ranging from the Bronze Age to the Roman period.
The Roman Villa of Bagnoli is located in contrada Bagnoli-San Gregorio, near the town of Capo d'Orlando, Sicily.
Naples (Italy) and its immediate surroundings preserve an archaeological heritage of inestimable value and among the best in the world. For example, the archaeological park of the Phlegraean Fields is directly connected to the centre of Naples through the Cumana railway, and the nearby sites of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Stabiae and Oplontis are among the World Heritage Sites of UNESCO.
The Rutland Roman villa is a Romano-British villa site in Rutland, England. The site was listed as a scheduled monument by Historic England on 23 November 2021. The villa includes the first example of a mosaic in Britain which depicts scenes from Homer's Iliad.
The extensive, luxurious Roman villa Palazzi di Casignana is located on the seashore and near the ancient road linking ancient Locri and Rhegion in today's province of Calabria, Italy. It was discovered in 1964. It reached its zenith during the late empire of the 4th c. AD, a period of turbulence elsewhere.
