In the heart of Sicily, nestled in the hills of the province of Enna and the hinterland of the Gulf of Gela, It rises Piazza Armerina. Rich in history and culture of the city is the cradle of ancient buildings such as the cathedral which dominates the city on top of a hill, City Hall and the beautiful Palazzo Trigona, It belonged to the noble family the most important and long-lived of Piazza Armerina.
Its narrow, winding streets are a reference point for those who like to walk to discover hidden places, steeped in history and a veil of mystery, but Piazza Armerina stands in Italy and abroad, especially for the Villa del Casale, charming house of the Roman era perfectly preserved, where still resplendent ancient mosaics.
The Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina
In the hamlet Casale, departed from the center of Piazza Armerina, It is the Villa Romana del Casale, one of the greatest monuments of Sicily.
This beautiful complex became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997 It was built during the Roman Imperial Period. For the size of the building and the beauty of the decorations, Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina had to belong to some illustrious era, probably Maximian, co-emperor Diocletian. Its isolated position with respect to the time centers, suggests that the villa was used as a summer residence from which they organized numerous hunts and were carried out administrative functions and representation, how it can be assumed from the numerous rooms present.
The mosaics of the Villa Romana del Casale: Timeless beauty
Thanks to its extensive collection of Roman mosaics in the world in perfect condition the Roman Villa del Casale is one of the most important reasons of tourist interest of Sicily. The beauty of the polychrome mosaics that skillfully blend the harmony of the structure with the environment each year attract thousands of tourists intrigued by the insight into Roman life offered by the villa that rarely sees elsewhere.
All the mosaics are very naturalistic stamp. The most famous and fascinating are the mosaics “bikini girls”, depicting scenes of everyday life of female athletes dedicated to sports. There are also incredible scenes of animals and strange creatures, hunting scenes and circus, that evoke a past rich in detail and complexity. Probably made by North African craftsmen as evidenced by the authenticity and accuracy with which the places and situations are represented, the mosaics of the Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina are by far the most extensive and fascinating Roman times and their discovery, in the 50s, It remains among the most important archaeological finds in Europe.
