A luxurious Roman “domus” and its “incomparable” mosaics discovered in Rome

The Italian Ministry of Culture announced on December 12 the discovery of a luxurious Roman “domus” more than 2,000 years old, including an “incomparable” mosaic made up of shells, fragments of glass and marble. This “domus”, a villa built by the rich Romans, is located in the Archaeological Park of the Colosseum, in the heart of Rome, and is an “authentic treasure”, according to the Minister of Culture Gennaro Sangiuliano, quoted in a press release .

The domus rises on several floors "and what makes the discovery exceptional is the existence of an extraordinary wall mosaic (...) incomparable due to the complexity of the scenes created", underlines the press release. In the mosaic, three large ships ride waves toward a coastal town, whose walls are dotted with small towers and porticos, in a scene that suggests the owner of the domus was victorious in battle.

Unearthed by archaeologists who discovered a series of walls in 2018, the domus has several floors. So far, only a few pieces have been explored and excavations will continue until 2024.

Situated around an atrium, the main room is a cave-shaped banquet hall, which was used during the summer. The owner, a nobleman probably senator, is also said to have created “spectacular water features” for his guests, using lead pipes placed between the decorated walls.

The mosaic dates from the “final decades of the 2nd century BC.” AD.” and it is made with “various types of shells, tesserae of Egyptian blue, precious glass, small fragments of marble or other types of stone,” among others. Also among the vines and lotus leaves can be seen piles of weapons with Celtic-style trumpets, warships and tridents, "perhaps alluding to a double triumph, land and sea, of the owner of the domus. There is “a fascinating representation” of a landscape, with a coastal town and a cliff, simulated in travertine, facing “the sea crisscrossed by three large ships, one with hoisted sails,” the press release continues.

“We will work intensively to make this place, one of the most suggestive of ancient Rome, accessible to the public as quickly as possible,” promised Alfonsina Russo, head of the Colosseum Archaeological Park.