Workers working at an apartment complex in Rome (Italy) accidentally opened the entrance to a real treasure, enough to set up… a splendid museum.
In 2014, a group of workers doing earthquake-resistant repairs to a luxury apartment block at the foot of the Aventine hill (Rome) discovered the first clue: the entrance to a mysterious floor. The excavation and restoration work has lasted many years because what lies beneath the apartment block is a great Roman palace that has been buried for more than 2,000 years but is still incredibly intact.
The floor is covered entirely with mosaics made up of billions of small, meticulously polished stones – Photo: DOMUS AVENTINO
Recently, archaeologists “unveiled” research and the first images of the “treasure” below the apartment building. Not only does it have an amazing architecture, inside there are also ancient treasures in exceptionally good condition: expensive stone mosaics covering the walls and floors, masterpiece busts, furniture. Marble interior… In particular, the floor consists of 6 layers and each layer is covered with lavish mosaics!
There are up to 6 layers of floors overlapping each other – Photo: DOMUS AVENTINO
According to archaeologists, analysis results show that the floor of the house has subsided many times since around the 2nd century AD, because underneath it are unnatural caves left after the stone mining process. . The newest house’s foundation also dropped about 1 meter compared to the general structure of the building. That’s probably why it was abandoned.
A small area of the villa was revealed, reinforced with steel structures for sightseeing purposes – Photo: DOMUS AVENTINO
According to Dr. Daniela Porro, senior cultural heritage official in Rome, the abundance of decorative works shows that the villa belonged to a very powerful person, possibly related to the royal family. The architecture shows that it belongs to the period of the Roman Republic (509-27 BC).
Around the villa are the remains of a wall and an even more ancient defensive wall, estimated to date back to the 8th century BC.
Graphic image recreating the space of a room in its heyday – Photo copyright: Special Director of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape of Rome
The relic is a great treasure with unbelievable value and special historical significance. BNP Paribas Real Estate – the company that owns the apartment block above – spent about 3 million euros to work with the Rome government to restore the location. The location will be open to visit as a private museum in the near future with a ticket price of 10 euros.
