Piazza Armerina, located at the center of Sicily, has in the Villa Romana del Casale its highest artistic expression and historical. With over 40 rooms and 4 well-defined areas is one of the most representative examples of those that were defined representation dwellings. Probably belonged to a governor of Rome, alternate large rooms, banquet halls, spas and gardens that housed the time even exotic plants. What distinguishes the villa in its multitude of environments are the mosaics, completely renovated and among the most beautiful of this historical period. Le iconography, stylistically influenced by African culture, taking pictures of private life moments, owner's habits and stories with epic background.

Criteria for admission

The World Heritage Committee decided in 1997 enter the town on the basis of criteria (i), (ii), (iii), (requiring that the site is a masterpiece of human creative genius, should exhibit an important interchange of human values ​​on developments in architecture, technology, monumental arts, planning and represent a unique testimony of a lost civilization) considering that the Villa del Casale in Piazza Armerina is a sublime example of luxurious Roman villa, which graphically illustrates the prevalence of social and economic structures of its time. The mosaics that decorate it are exceptional for their artistic quality and amplitude news.

History, art and culture

Not far from Enna, Piazza Armerina covers three hills, dominated by the Castello Aragonese, built by Martino I King of Sicily around the end of 1300, and the Cathedral dedicated to the Virgin who stands on the ruins of an older church. Inside the cathedral houses a Madonna seems to have been donated by Pope Nicholas II to the grand Count Ruggero, a crucifix bifronte, interesting and unique work of an unidentified "Master of the Cross". The Diocesan Museum houses the cathedral treasury and other precious pieces, as well as vestments and wax statues. The old town is an interesting succession of palaces in the medieval streets features. To see the tuff portal carved in the Baroque Church of St. Rocco, as well as the frescoed ceiling of the Town Hall, and the frescoes of Borremans in the Church of San Giovanni Evangelista. Out of town, to visit the ancient Priory of St. Andrew, founded by a nephew of Roger I in 1096. Towards Valguarnera it is worth stopping in the park hums, a large green area that houses several species of animals.

Roman Villa del Casale

Era, probably, the Emperor Maximilian hunting lodge or a major Roman patrician. The villa is in 48 environments covered with mosaics from, almost certainly, from North African workers due to the authenticity with which formulates the various places. Through these mosaics you can trace the history of the greatest of empires with scenes of everyday life, depictions of heroes and gods, hunting scenes and games. Le rappresentazioni sono state orientate in modo che il lato frontale sia rivolto verso l’ingresso di ogni stanza. Its internal structure is articulated around the peristyle and its large fountain, upstream of which you are located the basilica and two private apartments. Next to, preceded by an elliptical portico, is a monumental triclinium, and along its sides there are other apartments and rooms of the summer and winter diet. A monumental entrance introduces the pars rustica of the domus and the thermae, complete di frigidarium, tepidarium, calidarium, pool and gym. Outside they were found two aqueducts used for the supply of fountains, services and spa district. All the architectural complex of Villa is built on sloping terraces to allow a perfect and easy dislocation of the environments. The interior has a wealth Decorative floor and wall without becoming equal to the best example of Roman art joint of the mosaic. Circa 3500 square meters are covered with mosaics in perfect condition, perhaps made by African masters. Specifically, you can split the spectacular unfolding of these scenes in two stylistic and narrative strands likely to fall into two different performers: the first, classic, He is mainly devoted to the representation of epic scenes and linked to mythology, while the second set his gaze on daily life and domestic and faithful reproduction of animals and plants. The examples of admirable lightness and skill are countless, but over all stands the Great Hunt depicting, with great efficiency and great detail, the capture of wild animals for the circus games. La Villa del Casale rappresenta una fondamentale testimonianza per la comprensione della vita e della civiltà romana di cui ci offre, thanks to the perfect conservation of the environment and of the mosaic representations, an inimitable fresco. Among the most renowned areas in the Sala della Danza, whose mosaic, incomplete, It lets see women and men dancing, the Hall of Ten Girls in bikinis: young women are intent on doing gymnastic exercises while in the lower register a stipendiary girl crowning another girl.