The particular location of the sacellum located in the peristyle of the Villa Romana del Casale underlines a precise choice that, compared to other destinations, aims to exalt the value of its gens through an architecturally elaborate and solemn structure. . The worship of the Lares, deities worshipped by the ancient Romans, does not originate in the context of private walls and the domestic hearth, but in agricultural properties.
The testimonies in the historical and artistic panorama lead us more to private worship than public, and inside the domus, lararia were also present in other rooms such as the bedrooms, the cubicula or the kitchen, where the guardian deities, venerated by servants, were usually only depicted on the walls for reasons of economy. In addition to painting, there were sacred furnishings, consisting of votive offerings and statues that might have depicted the family Genius, the Lares, Vesta and the Penates.
Every morning the dominus and the inhabitants of the villa would bring offerings to the protective deities before the main meals.
A possible connection of the sacellum and the worship of the Lares to the scene depicted in the vestibule cannot be ruled out. On the calends, in January, as in other particular periods of the year, the hearth had to be embellished with a crown, incense spread and spelt offered.
