An Imperial Villa
of considerable size
The 20 rooms brought to light belong to the central sector of the Villa, which had a total area of approximately 500 square metres. Spello's Villa of Mosaics is a spectacular discovery that's capable of telling us more about the history and every day life of ancient Hispellum. It's a museum within the already Museum-like village of Spello, with its ancient roadways, monuments, and churches: a concentration of religion, art, and history that extends from the Roman era up until modern times.
Which era was the Villa from? The investigations have identified two distinct construction phases: the first dating back to the Augustan era (27 B.C. to 14 A.D.), attested by the remnants of cement flooring, and the next dating back to the high-Imperial age, between the 2nd and early 3rd centuries A.D.
Of the 20 rooms discovered, 10 contain polychrome mosaic floors of extraordinary beauty.
The main rooms:
- The Bird Room
- The Amphora Room
- The Triclinium
- The Radiant Sun Room
- The Geometric Mosaic room
- The Peristyle
- The Shield Room
- The Heated Room
Most of the rooms have polychrome mosaic floors and remnants of plaster on the walls in various colours, with squares or geometric partitions. The rooms without flooring and plasterwork were most likely service rooms.
Who was the owner of the Villa? The owner's identity is unfortunately unknown: there are no inscriptions bearing his name, and no other clues of his presence in Spello have yet been discovered. However, with a home of such considerable size, nestled right up against the walls of Spello, he certainly must have been an extremely rich and powerful individual. The study of the mosaic at the centre of the main room, which depicts a wine pouring scene, has led to the suggestion that he may have been a line producer.