Researchers in Naples have discovered an ancient Roman villa on the seafront thought to be the place from where Pliny the Elder watched Mount Vesuvius erupt.
Archaeological assistance sought during an urban regeneration project in the vicinity of Punta Sarparella in Bacoli, Naples, has led to the uncovering of the remains of a monumental Roman villa, dating back to around the 1st century AD.
The Structure, built using diamond-shaped cubilia in the opus reticulata form (decorative Roman wall facing), is comprised of ten large rooms in various stages of construction, and extends all the way to the beach from the site.
The remains are thought to be part of one of the terraces of the residence of the Prefect of the Roman Tyrrhenian Fleet of the Classis Misenensis (subset of the Roman navy), this being hypothesized because the residence’s position offers maximum visibility of the entire port basin and a broad view of the Gulf.
The Roman Villa in Naples may have Connection to Pliny the Elder
The researchers have suggested that – as he held the office of Praefectus Classis Misenensis – this uncovered Roman villa may be the spot from where Pliny the Elder saw the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, and consequently set sail for Stabiae to help the inhabitants of the several coastal cities in danger from the natural disaster.
The site of the villa lies in the vicinity of Punta Sarparella on the coast of Cape Miseno—a headland that marks the northwestern limit of the Gulf of Naples. The Cape of Miseno was also home to an ancient settlement called Misenum, which was the site of a significant Roman port.
Bacoli is already subject to protection by governmental archaeological restrictions because of the density of ancient remains dotted around Punta Sarparella, from the access point to the Roman theater of Misenum, to the college of the Augustals and the basin of the ancient port.
This latest discovery, it is claimed, is especially significant because the spaces inside and around the Roman port are still largely unmapped, thus a lot is still unknown about the organisation of the base, the routes of communication between the port and the rest of the town and the location of the center of the Misenum Colony.
The Roman villa discovery related to Pliny the Elder was made during construction work on a municipal villa, intended to give the public access to the Miseno beach, which was for many years inaccessible due to waste and brushwood.
During the regeneration project, which involved the building of a new access driveway, benches and a children’s play area, the archaeological team brought onto the project came across the remains of the villa.
An extensive excavation project is being planned for the villa, which may also include the submerged and semi-underwater structures along the coastline, but while that is being evaluated the perimeter of the rooms has been defined and fenced off.