PIAZZA ARMERINA - ROMAN VILLA DEL CASALE
sicily-travel
Piazza Armerina is a little town in the province of Enna, in the centre of Sicily, famous in the world for its mosaics in the Roman "Villa del Casale".
Roman "Villa del Casale" ("Villa Romana del Casale")
The "Villa Romana del Casale" is a Roman villa located about 5km outside the town of Piazza Armerina. It contains the richest, largest and most complex collection of Roman mosaics in the world. The Villa was constructed on the remains of an older villa around the III-IV century AD, probably as the center of a huge latifundium covering the entire surrounding area. How long the villa kept this role is not known, maybe for less that 150 years, but the complex remained inhabited and a village grew around it. It was damaged, maybe destroyed during the domination of the Vandals and the Visigoths, but the buildings remained in use, at least in part, during the Byzantine and Arab period. The site was finally abandoned when a landslide covered the villa in the XII century, and remaining inhabitants moved to the current location of Piazza Armerina. The existence of the villa was almost entirely forgotten (some of the tallest parts have always been above ground) and the area used for cultivation. Pieces of mosaics and some columns were found early in the XIX century, and some excavations were carried out later in that century, the latest major excavations were in the period 1950-60 by Gino Vinicio Gentili after which the current cover was built.
In late antiquity most of the Sicilian hinterland was partitioned into huge agricultural estates called "latifundia" (sing. "latifundium"). The size of the villa and the amount and quality of its artwork indicate that it was the center of such a latifundium, whose owner was probably a member of senatorial class if not of the imperial family itself, the absolute upper class of the Roman Empire. The villa evidently served several purposes. It contained some rooms that were clearly residential, others that certainly had official purposes, and a number of rooms of as yet unknown intended use, though they were definitely not built for commercial or production reasons. The villa would probably have been the permanent or semi-permanent residence of the owner; it would have been where the owner, in his role as patron, received his local clients; and it would have functioned as the administrative center of the latifundium. Currently, only the manorial portions of the complex have been excavated. The ancillary structures, housing for the slaves, workshops, stables, etc. have not yet been located. The overall plan of the villa was dictated by several factors: older constructions on the site, the slight slope on which it is built, and the passage of the sun and the prevailing winds. The villa was a single-story building, centered on the peristyle, around which almost all the main public and private rooms were organized. Entrance to the peristyle is via the atrium from the west, with the thermal baths to the northwest; service rooms and probably guest rooms to the north; private apartments and a huge basilica to the east; and rooms of unknown purpose to the south. Somewhat detached, almost as an afterthought, is the separate area to the south, containing the elliptical peristyle, service rooms and a huge triclinium. The mosaics are the prime reason for the fame of the Roman "Villa del Casale". The mosaics are probably made by African artists in the early IV century AD. It has been debated a lot whether the mosaics are made at the same time or over a prolonged period, and if it is the work of a single or several groups of mosaicists. While it is probable that several schools or companies of mosaicists have participated due to the large quantity of mosaics, it is likely that almost all mosaics are made within a fairly short period of time.
The entrance to the "Villa del Casale" is represented by the atrium. The atrium is a courtyard of irregular shape. On three sides it had a portico with ionic columns, on the fourth side the entrance arch. Under the portico was a geometric mosaic with a fish-scale pattern in two colours, while the central was paved with slabs of limestone. In the centre of the atrium was a fountain. When the patron received his clients, the lesser important clients would be made to wait their turn in the atrium. The large latrine nearby indicates the presence of a substantial number of persons for longer intervals of time. From the atrium we can enter in the peristyle, the central part of the Villa. The peristyle is a trapezoidal, almost rectangular space, surrounded on all four sides by a portico supported by a colonnade of slender granite columns with Corinthian capitals. In the centre of the peristyle is a fountain. Four service rooms, with geometric mosaic, appear on the peristyle. The third room from the peristyle was probably used as kitchen. There are no mosaics, but in the back of the room is a basin ora a raised bed for hot coals used for cooking.
.jpg "Piazza Armerina - Roman Villa del Casale - Room of the Fishing Cupids")
Adjacent to these rooms there are other three rooms. The "Room of the Dance" is, together with the antechamber, most likely a cubiculum, a bedroom, intended for the guests of the owner of the villa. It is certainly a high status room, due to the use of figurative mosaics. In the upper part, away from the door, there are one or two dancing women to the left and to the right a man is grabbing a woman who is resisting. The mosaic is very damaged, but from what remains it could be a depiction of the "Rape of the Sabine Women". Another room, that we can enter from the peristyle, is the "Room of the Seasons". The mosaic in the room is geometric with allegories of the four seasons and images of fish and birds. The room was the antechamber of the cubiculum in the "Room of the Fishing Cupids". 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 sea abounds with a variety of seafood and the cupids are getting a good catch. In the background, on the shore, there is a villa with a colonnade facing the sea and behind the villa different trees.
The next is the "Room of the Little Hunt". The original purpose of the room is not clear. The outstanding mosaics found here make it a very important room in the villa. A possible use could be as a winter dining-room, coenatio, for the guests staying in the neighbouring guest rooms. On the floor is represented, in five registers, a shooting party (for example: men that make an offer to Diana, the goddess of the hunters, men that hunt a fox, a rabbit, brids, etc.). Those represented are real hunting scenes, that must be part of the everyday life of the owner.
From the peristyle we can enter also in the long "Corridor of the Great Hunt". The corridor separates the public spaces to the east, the peristyle, the thermal baths and the guest rooms, from the Great Basilica and the private apartments to the west. The corridor is elevated approximately 2m above the level of the peristyle. Entry from the peristyle is by three stairways, two of which are aligned with the northern and southern parts of the portico, and one in the centre, just opposite the entrance to the Great Basilica. The mosaic in the corridor is very complex. It is a depiction of the capture (not an hunting, as the name of the room says) of live wild beasts in the most distant parts of the empire (India and Mauretania) and their subsequent transport by ship to Rome for the venationes, fights involving wild animals that were held in Rome in the Colosseum and sometimes in the Circus Maximus and in other arenas. The disposition of the mosaic is centred in front of the entrance to the Great Basilica where the animals arrive in Rome.
The "hunts" start in the extreme ends of the corridor, where there are also images of places at the extremes of the Roman Empire, and the animals are transported towards the centre, where Rome is located. Underway the animals are loaded on ships to be disembarked in Rome. The Great Basilica is the central space in the Villa. The entrance to the basilica is by four steps from the Corridor of the Great Hunt. It was flanked by two granite columns of which parts are still in place. Unfortunately it is badly damaged. On the right of the Great Basilica there is part of the private apartment.
The first room is the "Vestibule of Polyphemus". It is an antechamber to what appears to be two cubiculi, bedrooms. The mosaic is a motif from the Odyssey. In the centre of the mosaic Polyphemus is sitting in his cave, on a rock. He is depicted with three eyes instead of one, maybe as a recognition of his half human descent, but it will make it somewhat harder for Ulysses and his men to blind him. Ulysses is approaching the cyclops to offer him wine of huge cup, and Polyphemus is reaching out for it greedily. The colours of the mosaic are very dark colours to reflect the cave environment. The "Cubicle of Fruit" is located behind the Vestibule of Polyphemus and it is so named because to the fruit motifs depicted on the floor.
More famous is the other cubiculum, the "Cubicle with Erotic Mosaic". The mosaic in the front part of the room is geometric. In the centre is a twelve-sided irregular polygon with a laurel garland wrapped with a red band. Inside this a circular emblem with two persons, a man and a woman, kissing and embracing. She has her back to viewer and is half undressed. Hexagons with busts of female representations of four seasons are placed at the four cardinal points around the central polygon. These three rooms are probably the private rooms of the Domina, the owner's wife. On the left of the Great Basilica there is the other part of the private apartment, nearly certainly the owner's rooms. We can enter in this private apartment from the semicircular "Atrium of the Fishing Cupids". In the centre of the atrium is a small, shallow pool. The mosaic in the portico resembles the mosaic in the "Room of the Fishing Cupids". Cupids aboard six boats are fishing in the abundant sea, teeming with life, employing a number of different fishing techniques. From here we enter in the "Hall of Arion", a large hall with an ample apse. The entrance is flanked by two columns, and the apse is likewise narrowed by two columns. The shape of the room bears a striking similarity to the Great Basilica. The room has probably been a living room or a library. The mosaic in the rectangular part of the room depicts the Greek legend of Arion. In the centre of the mosaic Arion is riding a dolphin while playing an instrument. Around Arion are a multitude of naiads, tritons, cupids, sea monsters and fish. The Hall of Arion is the central and most important room of the larger private apartment.
On the right of the Hall of Arion there is the "Vestibule of Eros and Pan". 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 not clear, 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). In the latter case there is an analogy with the motif in the Vestibule of Polyphemus where the intellectual power of Ulysses overcomes the savage power of Polyphemus. The room is the antechamber to the "Cubicle of Children Hunting". The mosaic in the central part of the cubicle shows scenes of children hunting. It is divided in three registers, of which the lower is somewhat larger than the others. These hunting scenes have a certain affinity with the hunting scenes found in the "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. It is a reduction to infacy of the same hunting motif.
On the left of the "Hall of Arion" there is the "Vestibule of the Small Circus". The mosaic depicts a children's version of the chariot races of the circus. The room is the antechamber of the "Cubicle of Choruses and Actors". The mosaic in the main room shows actors and musicians engaged in artistic competitions. Directly from the peristyle we can enter in another room, the "Room with Girls in Bikini". The room is either a cubiculum, a bedroom, or a service room of some kind. There are indications that it might have a changed purpose after the villa was built. The mosaic shows ten young women, most of them engaged in athletic activities. This mosaic is one of the most famous of the villa, much of the fame of this mosaic is derived from the bikini-like costumes that the girls are wearing.
Always from the peristyle we enter in the "Hall of Orpheus". This room is very similar to the "Hall of Arion". At the centre of the room was a fountain and in the apse is the base for a status of Apollo. The torso of this status was found in corner during the excavations and has been restored to its original location. The mosaic that covers the entire room, depicts Orpheus as he entices the wild animals with his music. A large part of the animals are from Africa; there are also some mythical animals, such as the Phoenix and a griffin. This mosaic is, much like the similar mosaic in the Hall of Arion, a celebration of the power of the human intellect, represented by music and poetry, over the savage forces of nature. Where Arion subdues the animals of the sea, Orpheus does the same to the terrestrial animals. From a corner of the peristyle or from the "Corridor of the Great Hunting" we can enter in another complex, formed by an elliptical peristyle and a dining room, the triclinium. The entire floor of this room is covered with spectacular mosaics. The common them of the mosaics is the various legends about Hercules and the idea of apotheosis, Directly from the entrance of the villa, the atrium, we can enter in a bath complex. The first room has probably been used as an apodyterium, a room for changing clothes before and after the baths. The mosaic on the floor shows a woman, probably the Domina, at the centre, with her two children at the sides, on their way to the baths. The two persons at the extremes of the composition are two domestic slaves, one carrying the clothes for the baths, the other carrying the utensils used for massaging the body with oil during the baths. In a corner between the two flights of steps is depicted a chair and other objects.
From here, we enter in the gym of the thermal baths. It is a narrow, elongated room with apses at the ends. The mosaics are some of the more interesting in the villa. The long narrow room is decorated with a single, spectacular mosaic of the horse races in the Circus Maximus in Rome. It is one of the best contemporary depiction in the world of the Circus Maximus and the races held there. The next room is the frigidarium, the cold baths. The cold baths are an important part of the Roman baths, and they were enjoyed after the steam and the hot baths. The room is octagonal with six niches, two of which served as doorways, two gave access to the pools and the other four were probably for changing clothes. From the frigidarium there is access to the pool (natatio) and to the "Anointment Room". This is a small room of passage between the frigidarium and the tepidarium. As the name says, the room has probably been used for anointment of the bathers with perfumed oil after the hot baths. In fact the mosaic in the room shows in the upper part a person being anointed by slaves while other slaves in the lower part carry the utensils for the ointment of the bathers. Two of the slaves below appear to be named Titus and Cassius. From this room, we can enter in the tepidarium, the warm baths, where sweat and dirt is washed and scraped off. The room is elongated with apses at the ends. Behind one of the long side there are the calidaria. The calidaria consists of three separate rooms, each with its own axternal oven so each room could be heated separately to different temperatures. Unfortunately it is impossible visit these rooms.
Unesco World Heritage Site
In 1997 the Roman "Villa del Casale" is been declared Unesco World Heritage Site on the basis of these criteria:
- Criterion (i): to represent a masterpiece of human creative genius;
- Criterion (ii): to exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design;
- Criterion (iii): to bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared.
Visiting Hours
Open all days around from 10:00 am to 05:00 pm (summer time) or from 08:00 am to 04:00 (winter time).
Tickets
Adults € 3,00
Free Entrance for people under 18 and over 65 years old from the European Union upon presentation of identify documents.
Norman Palio
Every year, in August from 12th to 14th, in Piazza Armerina it is celebrated the Norman Palio. The Norman Palio, the only event of its kind in southern Italy, is a representation that recalls historic facts and episodes, which took place a thousand years ago. It is history since the people represented really existed; it is also a legend because there is not certainty that Piazza Armerina was the way this feast represents it. Count Roger, the last born of the Norman King Tancredi, came to Italy in the 1061 to help his brother Robert, called the Guiscardo, who was busy conquering Sicily and Calabria, which were dominated by the Bizantines and Saracens. The Roman Church supported this action and the Pope promised to give the Island to the Normans, if they had conquered it and freed it from the Saracen domination. Tradition says that, in change for this, Pope Nicolò II offered a standard depicting Our Lady with Child that the Count Roger gave to Piazza Armerina. On the first day, on August 12th, the Great Magistrate heads the cortege that walks through the streets of the town, carrying a lit lamp, which will be put in the Cathedral, at the foot of the shrine of the Madonna of Victories, as a sign of gratitude and devotion towards the Patron Saint. Immediately after, a blessing is bestowed upon the knights of the four historic quarters, who will take part in the joust, which consists mainly in simulating battle against the hated Saracen. The second day, on August 13th, young knights, noble men and women, each from their own quarter, move in cortege along the narrow and tortuous streets of the historic center of the town and reach the place where they will render tribute to Count Roger and his troops. They represent the historic quarters of Piazza Armerina: Monte, Casalotto, Canali and Castellina. All the corteges walk toward the same meeting place: Cathedral Square. Once the Great Town Crier reaches a predetermined place, in line with the bell tower, the Count reads the proclamation: all listen in great silence. A great bow closes this first phase. Immediately after that, the citizens of Pizza Armerina assure the Norman Count their fidelity, and as proof of their intent he is given the keys to the town. At the end of this ceremony the cortege walks through the main streets of the town, following the rhythm set by drummers and trumpers. On the following day, on August 14th, at the St. Ippolito's sports field, the Knights representing the four quarters of Piazza Armerina start the so-called "quintana" (joust). This is the less historical but more folkloristic part of the event. The knights will compare each other in games of ability and skill. Points are attributed for each game won or completed. Naturally, the winner will be the team that totalizes the most points. The prize consists in assigning to the winning kinghts, that famous shrine with the painting of the Madonna, which will be kept, for a year, in the parish Church of their quarter.
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