Excavation campaign begins in Realmonte’s Roman Villa

Last Updated: June 4, 2024

Realmonte, al via una campagna di scavi nella Villa Romana

A campaign of excavations has started in Realmonte at the Roman Villa in contrada Durrueli, conducted by the secondary branch of the School of Specialization in Archaeological Heritage of Siracusa, the institutes of Cultural Heritage Sciences and Studies on Ancient Mediterranean of Naples, and the Archaeological Park of the Valley of the Temples.

The Roman Villa, located a few kilometers from Agrigento, represents an extraordinary archaeological site, bordered to the south by the sea and to the east by what remains of the Cottone river. Discovered in 1907 during the construction of railway tracks, it was partially explored by Antonino Salinas, revealing six rooms with mosaic floors. Investigations on the villa resumed in 1979 by a team from the University of Tsukuba (Japan) under the direction of Masanori Aoyagi, who between 1979 and 1983 unearthed the peristyle surrounded by a covered ambulatory, some rooms in the southern sector, two thermal sectors, and a long wall parallel to the coast line.

The current campaign aims to clarify the nature, structure, and functions of the villa. Stratigraphic investigations in some sectors of the residential complex will help define aspects of the structure that have been unclear so far, built just a few steps away from the sea and the Scala dei Turchi. The multidisciplinary team currently working includes young researchers from the Pnrr – Changes project, over twenty students from the School of Specialization in Archaeology, and students from the Master’s degree in Archaeology, who will be accommodated in public facilities thanks to the support of the Realmonte Municipality.