ROMAN VILLA OF THE CAVES: GOING TO THE ROOTS OF THE ISLAND’S HISTORY WITH ACQUA DELL’ELBA.
Last September, a new archaeological visitors’ information panel was inaugurated on the site of the Roman Villa of the Caves (“Villa Romana delle Grotte”), with the cooperation of Acqua dell’Elba. Let’s discover something more about this wonderful location.
ROMAN VILLA OF THE CAVES: AN ARCHAELOGICAL SITE WITH A SCENT OF NOBILITY.
The Roman Villa of the Caves is one of the most important Roman-age archaeological sites on the Tuscan archipelago: an imposing patrician residence built during the reign of Augustus (first century A.D.), located on the promontory facing the Gulf of Portoferraio. A refined archaeological location which visitors can discover walking among the remains of the villa and the thermal complex, imagining daily life during those ancient times and how patrician nobles lived in this important Roman residence.
ROMAN VILLA OF THE CAVES: ONE PANEL FOR FOUR ARCHAEOLOGICAL ITINIERARIES
The informational panel, designed by George Guida with pictures by Stefano Muti, visually describes the four different itineraries suggested by the Foundation: archaeological, panoramic, botanical, or pertaining to water. During the course of this last itinerary, for example, the visitors’ attention is focused on the ancient water tanks used, among other things, to collect the water required by the thermal complex, which are recognisable because of the highly waterproof coating made of lime mortar and crushed pottery.
ROMAN VILLA OF THE CAVES: THE ART OF SHARING.
Through the years Acqua dell’Elba has been among those promoting initiatives, included within the Heritage Days 2018, which have increased the awareness and number of visitors to this wonderful open-air museum. We do this because we believe it is only through a joint effort by cultural associations, entrepreneurs, schools and researchers that fascinating sites such as the Villa of the Caves may be maintained as cultural locations which are “alive”, beautiful to share and worthy to protect, together.
