Villa of the sette bassi
The Villa dei Sette Bassi (also Villa Via Tuscolana) is an archaeological site located in Rome, Italy.
The site is located in Tuscolana 1700 in the area of Capannelle, on the Appian Way Regional Park. This is the largest villa in the suburb Roman Empire after that of Quintiles, enough to be considered a city in its own right. The name, known since the Middle Ages, is derived from Septimius Basso, prefect under the Emperor Septimius Severus (193 - 211), and a possible owner of the villa. The site, however, dates back to Antoninus Pius (138 - 161) and was inhabited until the beginning of fourth century, and maintained by other restorations for two more centuries.
The residential area consists of three contiguous parts, dating back to three different stages but rapidly chronological order: the parties have rectangular and are arranged aligned from east to west. They also had gardens and a main park onto which the buildings. The easternmost building was built at the beginning of the reign of Antoninus Pius with a traditional structure: 50 meters on each side, a peristyle in the northwest of about 45 square meters per side. The plant is compact, with no windows facing outward. The second building was born in the southwest of the previous peristyle, where it was incorporated into the 140 - 150 has a length of 45 m to 25 m wide, and had a round panoramic south-facing. It is a structure linked to luxury, without any functional character. The third structure is attributed to the end of the reign, and is the most gorgeous, with classrooms and a large spa rooms.
To the northwest of the villa was a series of houses with warehouses, temples and tanks: it was the place where he lived the rural population took place and most of the agricultural and domestic activities. The area has been the subject of archaeological investigation, but remain clearly visible remains of a small temple in rectangular brick back to second century AD; had vaulted ceilings and gabled and, within it, a 'apse for the rectangular divine statue.
The villa, whose name probably derives from the owner, is part of the group of suburban villas of the park the Appian Way, and is second in size only to the villa of the Quintilii on Appian Way . It was built towards the middle of the second century, the fifth mile of the via Latina, in the time of Emperor Antoninus Pius.
Bibliography
- R. Egidi, "Villa dei Sette Bassi," in C. Kicking, Rome archaeological, Rome 2005, p. 442-444.
- M. De Franceschini, "Villa Via Tuscolana, the Seven Netherlands", in Ville Agro Romano, Rome 2005, p. 209-214.
See also
- Roman Villa
- Villa of the Quintilii
Coordinates: 41°50′29″N 12°34′30″E / 41.84130°N 12.575°E