Villas In Sicily - The Ancient Roman Version

Nowadays, renting or purchasing luxury villas in Sicily is seen by many as one of the best ways to enjoy everything Italy has to offer. While lagging slightly behind regions like Tuscany in what concerns tourist appeal, the island off the coast of ‘Europe’s Boot’ has slowly but steadily been converting tourists to its charms; it is not uncommon to large numbers of visitors arrive on its shores ready to take in everything it has to offer.

Long before word-of-mouth and tour packages put the region in the public consciousness, however, it was already far from an unknown spot for a pleasant holiday. In fact, the practice of building holiday villas in Sicily harks as far back as the Ancient Romans, and a few remnants of the holiday homes they built for themselves in the sunny island still stand, waiting to be discovered by archaeologically-minded visitors.

Bikinis Before Christ?

Perhaps the best known of the ancient roman villas in Sicily is the Villa Romana del Casale, a tourist attraction outside the town of Piazza Armerina that continues to bring significant numbers of foreigners to its doors each year. Built in the 4th century AD and occupied until the 12th, this luxurious Roman holiday home was then abandoned for 800 years, until excavations in the late 19th century brought some of its pillars to the surface once again. The first proper archaeological digs took place early in the following century, and by the middle of the 20th century, it had been unearthed again.

It was then that specialists were able to properly have a look at this ancient Roman abode, taking in its characteristics in order to glean some additional knowledge about it. It is thought to have formed part of a large agricultural estate, around which a village later grew, named Platia. This location was destroyed, along with part of the residence, when the Vandals and then the Visigoths invaded in the early Middle Ages.

Nowadays, the Villa Romana del Casale’s main claim to fame are its mosaics, which depict scenes that may at first appear strange to modern-day citizens. One such composite is informally known as the ‘bikini girls’ mosaic, since it seems to depict precisely that – which does not begin to sound strange until one remembers bikinis are a 20th century invention! The women are shown playing a variety of sports, most of which have seeped through to the modern age, and occupy the floor of a room appropriately known as the ‘Chamber Of The Ten Maidens’.

The other well-known mosaic at this location is usually referred to as the ‘Little Hunt’, and shows exactly that, while lesser-known pieces depict people skiing (another surprise considering the time period), boats and wild animals.

A fascinating remnant of Roman presence on the island, the Villa Romana del Casale is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and could make for an interesting site to visit for archaeology buffs renting villas in Sicily.

Jonathan Magoni is Senior Manager of Cottages to Castles, a family owned company specialising in high quality holiday villas, apartments and cottages in Italy. For spectacular villas in Sicily or accommodation in the Italian lakes, ski resorts or city centres, we offer only the very best. Discover Italy at your own pace and without time restrictions in our hand picked villas and cottages.