The remains of a large suburban villa were found in the Flaminio area during the creation of the Auditorium by Renzo Piano. The area covered by the archaeological remains (approximately 2,500 square meters) is situated at the foot of the Parioli hill, between Via Flaminia and the Tiber River.
The constructions, four meters deep compared to the level of Viale Pilsudski, are well preserved at their foundations but the upper sections were removed at an early date, when the villa was abandoned. It is a sole large sized complex, made up of two constructions, separated by a strip of ground.
The excavations have revealed a series of extraordinary layers. The area was in use continuously from the second half of the 6th Century B. C. until the 2nd Century A.D. when it was finally abandoned, probably because of frequent floods coming from the Tiber river nearby. At the beginning (6th Century B.C.), a small farm was built with a fence for keeping animals inside. At this stage there were already two separate areas – the part on the western side used as living quarters and the eastern side for productive purposes. The remains of an oven with a cupola over it, formerly used for baking domestic crockery and food, were found there.
During the 5th Century B.C. the construction was enlarged considerably and from this time onwards it remained the same size until the Imperial Era.
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viale Pietro De Coubertin, 15/30
00196 Roma |  |
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