Villa romana di Cottanello, Roman archaeological site in Cottanello, Italy.
Villa romana di Cottanello is a Roman residential complex in Cottanello with rooms arranged around a central courtyard featuring geometric mosaic floors. The preserved remains show both living quarters and agricultural production spaces typical of Roman elite estates.
Amateur archaeologists discovered the site in 1968 when damage from earlier conflicts exposed fragments of underground structures. The villa was built during the first century and reflects the development of Roman rural estates from that era.
The villa displays architectural elements of both agricultural production spaces and residential areas, reflecting Roman social organization of the first century AD.
The site sits on a hillside about one kilometer from the village center and is sheltered by a protective structure overhead. The walking path to reach it is clearly marked and straightforward to navigate.
The villa's floors feature red marble from local quarries, the same stone later used for Saint Peter's Basilica construction. This particular marble was prized for its quality and appearance in ancient times.
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