Casa dels Dofins, Roman domus in Badalona, Spain

Casa dels Dofins is a Roman house in Badalona with fine mosaic floors, wall paintings, and a typical layout featuring a central courtyard surrounded by rooms. The structure reveals how different areas were organized and the purposes they served in daily life.

The house was built in the late 1st century BC in the upper part of Baetulo. Its remains were first found in the 1930s by Josep de Calassanç Serra i Ràfols, and the 1981 excavation confirmed a high-imperial Roman dwelling. A sewer beneath the site, dated by its pottery to the mid-1st century, marks the construction period.

The house takes its name from the dolphin frieze on the mosaic of the peristyle impluvium, the basin that collected rainwater and drained it into a cistern. The black-and-white marble tesserae, about one centimetre each, form geometric patterns; simpler rooms kept opus signinum floors. Fragments of the original wall paintings in several colours survive on some walls.

Informational displays and multimedia presentations at the site explain the layout and functions of different rooms within the house. Visitors can move at their own pace and gain a clearer understanding of the preserved details on location.

The property contains three large storage tanks and a dedicated working area for wine production. These features reveal that residents engaged in economic activities beyond simply living in the house.