sight
The sumptuous three-arched entrance to the Late Antique residence must have thrilled those who entered because of the multitude of colours that enriched it, starting with the bright colours of the plasterwork decorated with geometric mirrors in imitation marble, which recalled the high rank of the dominus. Those entering through the side entrances were observed by the pairs of frescoed figures. Even the two symmetrical fountains, placed between the large central and lateral openings, restore part of the decorations on the outside, simulating lively marble slabs in contrast to the whiteness of the interior mosaics, surmounted by an elegant decoration with plant racemes and birds. A number of guards, the ianitores, watched over the entrances through which those who had to make their way to the great hall where the dominus held his audience, the Basilica, or to other places such as the public baths and the vestibule, entered. The surrounding wall of the villa could be seen, even from a distance, rising in the latifundium, inhabited by the houses of the settlers.
hearing
As we approach the majestic building, of which monumental remains can still be seen, we get the impression, even today, of hearing the voices of the guards who watched over the entrance and the sound of the hooves of the horses that entered the villa in the retinue of the dominus, identifiable in the frescoes on the eastern wall that encloses the square. From the niches above the two rectangular fountains, which are now only attached to the piers and Ionic columns, we can still hear the constant sound of the water flowing into the basins and animating, with its reflection, the plant shoots inhabited by birds that decorate the interior.
smell
The air is still imbued with the intoxicating scent of the resin from the trees which, since the 4th century A.D., have provided shade for the vast latifundium caressed by the slow passing of the seasons. In front of the monumental entrance, wagons carrying products such as wine, wheat, oil and fruit to nearby warehouses must have permeated the atmosphere with pleasant aromas from the harvest.
touch
Touching the remains of the limestone ashlars of the sumptuous architecture, the residual plaster and the mosaic tiles of the basins, can give us an idea of the consistency of the materials used for this imposing construction, showing the high rank of its owner.
